How many years has it been since you compared cheaper Buick Regal insurance in Seattle? Are you kicking yourself for buying an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say many Seattle consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.
Unbelievable but true according to a study over 70% of Washington drivers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for more than four years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never compared rates from other carriers. U.S. consumers could save an average of 47% each year, but most just don’t grasp how much savings they would realize if they replace their high priced policy. Having so many choices for buying cheap insurance for a Buick Regal in Seattle, it is very difficult to pick the lowest cost car insurance company.
Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates as often as possible because car insurance rates trend upward over time. Just because you found the lowest premium rates on Buick Regal insurance in Seattle on your last policy there may be better deals available now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to learn the quickest way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is a great way to save money. All you need to do is take a couple of minutes to compare rate quotes to discover which company has affordable Seattle car insurance quotes.
Online shopping is fast and free, and it replaces the need to actually drive to local Seattle insurance agencies. Quoting Buick Regal insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you have a need for the professional abilities only provided by licensed Seattle agents. Although, it is possible comparison shop online but still have the advice of a local agent.
The providers in the list below can provide free quotes in Washington. If multiple companies are listed, it’s highly recommended you click on several of them to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
Get cheaper rates by taking advantage of discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be asked for in order for you to get them.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems have a lower chance of being stolen so companies will give you a small discount.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems could see savings up to 30%.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Teen drivers should enroll in driver’s education in school.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for multiple cars with the same company qualifies for this discount.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower premium rates on the low mileage vehicles.
As a sidenote, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
Companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- GEICO may offer discounts for military active duty, daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, multi-policy, good student, and defensive driver.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include low natural disaster claims, anti-theft, type of vehicle, multi-policy, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for alternative fuel, good student, distant student, early shopping, and pay in full.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers discounts for paid in full, teen driver, group or association, anti-lock brakes, and safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including newly married, hybrid vehicle, new graduate, preferred payment discount, newly retired, and new move discount.
- SAFECO has discounts for multi-car, anti-lock brakes, safe driver, anti-theft, and accident prevention training.
- Progressive may include discounts for good student, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle.
- USAA may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, good student, military installation, annual mileage, multi-policy, driver training, and new vehicle.
When quoting, ask every insurance company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts may not be available in Seattle. To see a list of car insurance companies who offer online Buick Regal insurance quotes in Seattle, click here to view.
Local Seattle insurance agencies
Certain consumers still prefer to buy from a local agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Experienced insurance agents will help you protect your assets and help file insurance claims. An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And buying from neighborhood insurance agencies is especially important in Seattle.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You never need to contact any agents because prices are sent to you. If you need to get a rate quote from a specific company, feel free to navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.
Deciding on an insurer should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- Where are claims handled?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
Lower Your Seattle Insurance Prices
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. If you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may result in better insurance rates. Many different elements are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving record, but other criteria are not as apparent such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.
- Car features that lower premiums – Choosing to buy a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Theft deterrent systems such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all hinder car theft.
- Occupation stress can affect rates – Jobs like military generals, architects and stock brokers have higher rates than the rest of us due to high stress levels and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, careers like actors, students and retirees receive lower rates.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The performance of the car you drive makes a big difference in your rates. Because the Buick Regal is classified as a passenger car, insuring your vehicle will cost similar in price or lower when compared to the average rates in Seattle. Lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles normally have pretty low rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Know your vehicle’s crash test rating – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
- Poor credit decisions can cost you – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in calculating your insurance rates. If your credit history is low, you may save money insuring your Buick Regal if you improve your credit rating. Insureds with good credit tend to be more responsible than those with bad credit.
- Buick Regal statistical loss data – Insurers use past insurance losses when they calculate premium costs for each model. Models that have higher number or severity of losses will cost more for coverage. The data below shows the historical loss data for Buick Regal vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is set at 100. Values that are under 100 suggest a positive loss record, while values over 100 indicate frequent claims or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
Buick Regal Insurance Claim Statistics
Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Buick Regal 2WD 96 92 82 104 94 97 Buick Regal 4WD 113 87 Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Car insurance is not optional but you don’t have to overpay
Despite the potentially high cost of Buick Regal insurance, insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability protection if you want to drive legally. In Washington these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Regal has a loan, more than likely the lender will force you to have full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Buick for a much higher rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Car insurance preserves both your car and your assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses incurred in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay for a defense attorney if you cause an accident and are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having car insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays as much as $865 each year so compare quotes from several companies at least once a year to make sure the price is not too high.
The most affordable rates come from being thorough
More affordable insurance in Seattle can be sourced on the web in addition to many Seattle insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not have rate quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.
To learn more, feel free to browse the following helpful articles:
- Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with Good Credit in Seattle? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Police Officers in Seattle? (FAQ)
- What is Gap Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Dangers of fake or stolen airbags (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- All About Airbag Safety (State Farm)