Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, you’re not alone. You have so many insurers to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest rates.
It’s a good idea to shop coverage around every six months because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the lowest price on G8 insurance six months ago you can probably find a better price now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we’re going to show you the only way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs
Getting better Pontiac G8 auto insurance pricing doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need to take a couple of minutes getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This type of form prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes direct from many companies.
- A harder way to find lower rates is to manually visit each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Farmers and State Farm. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
- The least recommended method to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the trained guidance of a local agent. It is possible to compare online quotes but still have the advice of a local agent. We’ll cover that shortly.
However you get your quotes, be sure to compare identical coverages on every quote. If you compare mixed coverages it’s not possible to determine which rate is truly the best.
Don’t be fooled by advertising claims
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings by companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you switch to them.
But how can every company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile must pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise all available discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance on G8 insurance.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
- Sign Online – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
- Student in College – Kids in college who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for better auto insurance rates on G8 insurance.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
To see a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates, click this link.
Price shop online but buy from a local agent
Some consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Professional agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The best thing about getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.
By using this quick form, your insurance data is emailed to insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy!
Selecting a company requires more thought than just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
When finding a reliable agent, there are two different types of agents that you can select. agents can either be independent or captive. Both write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn how they differ because it can influence your agent selection.
Agency Captives
Captive agents can only write with one company such as State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.
When comparison shopping, you should always include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
For a complete listing of agencies, click here.
Upon getting acceptable answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that can service your policy.
Shop smart and save
You just read many ways to reduce Pontiac G8 insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small local company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price while still protecting your assets.
