Cheap Honda Insight Insurance in Seattle

Are you burned out from robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay your car insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as many other Washington drivers.

A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that the vast majority of consumers have remained with the same car insurance company for four years or more, and just under half have never shopped around. Many drivers in America could cut their rates by roughly $850 a year just by shopping around, but they just assume it’s a time-consuming process to find cheaper car insurance rates.

Insurance companies such as State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you have a policy now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce premiums using these methods. Buying the cheapest insurance in Seattle can really be easy if you know what you’re doing. Although Washington vehicle owners benefit from understanding the way companies calculate their prices.

Get Honda Insight Insurance at a Discount

Multiple criteria are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but other criteria are not as apparent like where you live or how financially stable you are.

The factors shown below are some of the items that factor into your rates.

Never allow your coverage to lapse – Not maintaining insurance is a misdemeanor and companies may charge more for letting your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. Not only will you pay more, the inability to provide proof of insurance could result in a steep fine or even jail time.

Too many policy claims will drive rates up – Car insurance companies in Washington give better rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.

How many miles do you drive? – The more you drive your Honda in a year’s time the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of companies calculate rates partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. An improperly rated Insight may be costing you. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage shows annual mileage.

Insurance premiums and driver gender – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. They both cause auto accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species tend to have higher claims. Men also tend to get ticketed for serious violations such as reckless driving. Male teenagers generally have the highest accident percentage so they pay the highest premiums.

Insurance is expensive for youthful drivers – Young drivers in Washington are statistically shown to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher. Having to add a youthful driver onto your car insurance can be quite pricey. Older drivers have been proven to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.

Driving citations mean higher costs – Careful drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to those with violations. Even one speeding ticket or other violation can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers who have gotten flagrant tickets such as DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Rates and your address – Being located in a small town is a positive aspect if you are looking for the lowest rates. Residents of big cities have to deal with more traffic problems and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.

It’s important to know that more quotes helps increase your odds of locating lower pricing. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so it’s important to also get price quotes from the smaller companies as well.

The providers in the list below provide free rate quotes in Seattle, WA. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you get rate quotes from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Price data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise premiums noticeably.

Full coverage versus liability-only in Seattle

The information below visualizes the comparison of Honda Insight yearly insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The information is based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, single male driver, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

When to stop buying physical damage coverage

There is no set rule for excluding physical damage coverage, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of having full coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Honda Insight replacement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you would only receive $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing you more than $300 annually for your policy with full coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

There are some cases where removing full coverage is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.

Poor driving habits will raise your car insurance rates

The chart below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault claims can affect Honda Insight yearly insurance costs for different age groups. Data assumes a single female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Do drivers who switch really save?

Popular insurance providers such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. All the ads advertise the message about saving some big amount if you move to them. But how can every company give you a better price on Honda Insight insurance in Seattle? This is the way they can do it.

Most companies quote their best rates for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. A good example of this type of risk profile might be between the ages of 30 and 45, carries full coverage, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured that matches those criteria will get a cheap rate quote in Seattle and is almost guaranteed to save money with a new company.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for these criteria will be quoted higher prices and ends up with the customer not purchasing. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “people who switch” not “all people who quote” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote. Each company has different criteria, so it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. It is just not possible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Auto insurance is an important decision

Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance is a good idea for several reasons.

• Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific level of liability in order to drive the car. 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 vehicle has a loan, more than likely the lender will force you to have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender will be forced to insure your Honda at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
• Insurance safeguards not only your Honda but also your financial assets. Insurance will also pay for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially with large liability claims. As of last year, the average driver in Washington overpays as much as $865 each year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.

Affordable rates by taking advantage of discounts

Some providers don’t always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the more hidden credits that may apply to you. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you may be paying too high a price.

• Driver’s Education for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education in high school.
• Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can earn big discounts compared to policyholders that have many claims.
• Pay Early and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
• Multiple Vehicles – Having several vehicles on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies provide a discount for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current Insight insurance policy. Ten percent is about the average savings.
• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the PIP or medical payment premium.
• Low Miles Discount – Keeping the miles down on your Honda could be rewarded with lower prices due to less chance of an accident.
• Data Collection Discounts – Insureds who allow their insurance company to analyze when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
• Senior Discount – Older drivers can possibly qualify for better insurance rates.

One last thing about discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.

Companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.

• Progressive offers premium reductions for continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, good student, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
• Farmers Insurance has savings for homeowner, pay in full, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, good student, and multi-car.
• Farm Bureau may include discounts for safe driver, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, renewal discount, and good student.
• State Farm includes discounts for passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, safe vehicle, multiple autos, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, seat belt use, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, anti-theft, and air bags.
• SAFECO may offer discounts for homeowner, anti-theft, bundle discounts, teen safe driver, drive less, and anti-lock brakes.
• Liberty Mutual offers discounts for multi-car, good student, teen driver discount, newly married, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, and new vehicle discount.

If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering to give you their best rates. Discounts may not be offered in Seattle. To locate companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Washington, follow this link.

Compare rate quotes but work with a local neighborhood Seattle car insurance agent

A lot of people prefer to talk to a local agent. One of the benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your information is immediately sent to participating agents in Seattle who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to contact an agency as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. You can most likely find cheaper rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you have a need to compare rates from a specific company, you can always find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.

Finding a good provider shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Here are some questions to ask:

• How are claims handled?
• Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
• Is there a local claims center in Seattle?
• Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?

If you would like to find a reputable agency, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they work. Agencies in Seattle may be either independent or exclusive.

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

Exclusive agencies can only provide one company’s prices and examples are Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. They receive a lot of sales training on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.

Shown below is a list of exclusive agents in Seattle who may provide you with price quotes.

More Seattle agents

Independent Auto Insurance Agencies

Agents that choose to be independent often have many company appointments and that allows them to write policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you can keep the same agent.

When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Below is a short list of independent agents in Seattle that can give you rate quotes.

More Seattle agents

Lower rates by being persistent

Some auto insurance companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller providers only sell through local independent agents. Budget-conscious Honda Insight insurance is available on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

We’ve covered a lot of information how to compare Honda Insight insurance prices in Seattle. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding the cheapest Honda Insight rate quotes. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Much more information about auto insurance in Washington can be found below:

• Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for Ride Shares in Seattle? (FAQ)
• Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
• Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
• Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Institute)