Are you at wits end from trying to scrape together enough money to keep your car insured? You’re in the same situation as many other vehicle owners in Washington.
It’s hard to fathom, but the vast majority of insurance customers in Washington kept buying from the same company for more than four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never compared quotes from other companies. U.S. consumers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by comparing rates, but they don’t invest the time required to compare rate quotes. Big companies like State Farm and GEICO continually bombard you with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to ignore the propaganda and do the work needed to find the best deal.
It’s smart to compare prices quite often because insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates on Ford Fusion insurance in Seattle on your last policy other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to find great coverage at a great price.
The following companies are ready to provide comparison quotes in Seattle, WA. If multiple providers are shown, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $142 | $256 | $278 | $16 | $82 | $774 | $65 |
| Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $122 | $236 | $278 | $16 | $82 | $734 | $61 |
| Fusion Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $180 | $412 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,116 | $93 |
| Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $258 | $452 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $1,110 | $93 |
| Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $136 | $278 | $334 | $20 | $100 | $868 | $72 |
| Fusion SEL AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $224 | $474 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,218 | $102 |
| Fusion Sport AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $246 | $510 | $334 | $20 | $100 | $1,210 | $101 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Price data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Premium costs do not factor in specific zip code location which can influence premium rates greatly.
Bad driving habits will cost you more
The chart below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions increase Ford Fusion insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. Data assumes a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
The diagram below shows the comparison of Ford Fusion car insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the Washington minimum liability coverage. The premiums assume no claims, a clean driving record, $1,000 deductibles, married male driver, and no discounts are applied.
When to eliminate full coverage
There is no definitive rule to exclude physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Ford Fusion claim settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you would only receive $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $700 a year for full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some conditions where dropping full coverage is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage.
Auto insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost, buying auto insurance is required by state law in Washington and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, just about all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability coverage in order to license the vehicle. 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.
Second, if you have a lien on your car, it’s most likely the lender will stipulate that you buy insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Ford at an extremely high rate and force you to pay the higher price.
Third, auto insurance protects both your assets and your car. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees in the event you are sued. If you have damage to your Ford as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly if you ever have a claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays as much as $810 a year so compare quotes from several companies every year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Lower rate quotes with these seven discounts
Insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there may be some discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be asked for before being credited. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- First Accident Forgiveness – Not necessarily a discount, but some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
- Distant Student – Kids who are attending college and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your auto and home policy and insure them both with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total Fusion insurance premium.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 20% or more.
- No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Seattle Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can get you a discount because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Just know that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will lower the cost of your policy.
A partial list of companies that possibly offer most of these discounts include:
If you need the cheapest Ford Fusion rate quotes, ask each company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above might not be offered on policies in Seattle.
Auto insurance agents can help
Some consumers would rather sit down with an agent and often times that is recommended Most agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. A good thing about comparing rate quotes online is that you can obtain lower rates and still choose a local agent. Buying insurance from local insurance agencies is important particularly in Seattle.
After completing this quick form, the quote information is transmitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you wish to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, just search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
When finding a reliable insurance agent, there are two different agency structures and how they function. Auto insurance agencies may be either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both can sell auto insurance policies, but it’s worth mentioning the difference in how they write coverage since it can affect the kind of agent you use.
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel can sell policies from many different companies so they can write business through lots of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they find a cheaper price, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, it’s a good idea to include several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.
Featured below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Seattle that may be able to give pricing information.
Ati Agency Inc
2150 N 107th St # 460 – Seattle, WA 98133 – (206) 522-9200 – View Map
Adams Insurance
8613 35th Ave NE – Seattle, WA 98115 – (206) 523-8660 – View Map
C. Don Filer Agency
4201 Roosevelt Way NE #200 – Seattle, WA 98105 – (800) 701-5909 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
Exclusive insurance agents generally can only insure with one company such as State Farm, AAA, and Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable on what they offer and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below is a short list of exclusive agents in Seattle that can give you price quote information.
Heather Proctor – State Farm Insurance Agent
2600 SW Barton St, Ste E22 – Seattle, WA 98126 – (206) 935-3922 – View Map
Raymond Insurance-Pemco and Progressive
6011 California Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98136 – (206) 933-8812 – View Map
Jeffrey Taylor – State Farm Insurance Agent
4850 Rainier Ave S – Seattle, WA 98118 – (206) 725-8008 – View Map
Picking an insurance agency should include more criteria than just the quoted price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Is the coverage adequate for your vehicle?
- How long has their agency been open in Seattle?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to your questions and an affordable coverage quote, it’s a good possibility that you have found a car insurance agent that is reliable enough to insure your vehicles. But remember, consumers can terminate your policy for any reason so don’t assume you’re contractually obligated to a specific agent for the entire policy term.
Coverages available on your car insurance policy
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Comprehensive coverages
This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a bird. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverage
Collision insurance pays for damage to your Fusion caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter, colliding with a tree and colliding with another moving vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible on your Fusion to get cheaper collision coverage.
Coverage for medical payments
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses for things like surgery, doctor visits, pain medications and nursing services. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (Washington limits are 25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Auto liability insurance
This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/10 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $10,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things such as loss of income, attorney fees, structural damage, legal defense fees and pain and suffering. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Washington requires drivers to carry at least 25/50/10 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
Cheaper coverage is out there
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost.
Cheaper insurance in Seattle is attainable both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide online rate quotes and many times these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agencies.
For more information, link through to the resources below:
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much is Car Insurance for First-time Drivers in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Nurses in Seattle? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Safe Drivers in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)