Affordable Quotes for Subaru Forester Insurance in Seattle

Wish you could get a refund on an expensive auto insurance policy? Don’t feel bad because there are lots of people in the same boat.

It’s amazing but the majority of drivers have remained with the same auto insurance company for a minimum of four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. The average driver in Seattle could save approximately $400 a year just by comparing rates, but they just don’t understand how much they could save if they changed companies.

Vehicle owners have many insurers to buy insurance from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

Low-cost companies for Subaru Forester insurance in Washington

The companies shown below have been selected to offer free quotes in Washington. If several companies are displayed, we recommend you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Premium data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in specific Seattle garaging location which can modify premiums greatly.

Full coverage versus liability-only

The example below shows the difference between Subaru Forester insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The data is based on no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, single male driver, and no discounts are applied.

Should you buy full coverage or liability only?

There is no clear-cut formula to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than around 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Subaru Forester book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after paying your deductible. If premium cost is more than $700 annually for full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some conditions where dropping full coverage is not a good plan. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not opt for liability only.

Safe drivers pay cheaper rates

The diagram below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions impact Subaru Forester auto insurance rates for different age groups. The costs are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Comparison of policy deductibles

When shopping for car insurance, a common question is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The rates shown below approximate the rate difference of buying low and high physical damage deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second pricing table uses a $500 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can decrease or increase premium rates substantially.

Based on these figures, using a $100 deductible costs approximately $22 more each month or $264 every year than choosing the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more if you file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at a minimum 18 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you decide on a higher deductible.

Informed Drivers Can Reduce Insurance Rates

Many different elements are used in the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, although others are more transparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating. Smart consumers have a good feel for a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating the price you pay for insurance. If you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to cheaper rates.

• Qualify for multi-policy discounts – Many companies give better rates to buyers who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to get quotes from other companies to ensure the best deal. Drivers may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
• Never let your policy lapse – Not having insurance is not a good idea and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance expire. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance could earn you fines and jail time.
• More traffic equals higher rates – Residing in less populated areas of the country has it’s advantages when talking about insurance. City drivers regularly have more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents in addition to lower liability claims
• You might want pay the minor policy claims yourself – Car insurance companies in Washington give cheaper rates to insureds who are not frequent claim filers. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is designed for the large, substantial claims.
• Does car insurance cost less for women? – Statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. This data doesn’t prove that males are worse at driving than females. Both genders are in accidents in similar percentages, but the men get into accidents with more damage. Men also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
• Tough vocation may mean higher rates – Occupational choices like doctors, business owners and emergency personnel generally pay higher premium rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent away from family. Other careers such as professors, athletes and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
• Deter theft and pay less – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help stop car theft.
• Pay more of a claim out-of-pocket – The deductibles you choose state the amount of money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some coverage claims could be a windshield broken by a bird, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more damage repair cost you’re willing to pay, the less your insurance will be.
• Subaru Forester historical loss data – Insurers take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle when setting premium costs. Models that the statistics show to have higher number or severity of losses will have higher premium rates. The data below shows the loss history for Subaru Forester vehicles.

  For each coverage category, the claim probability for all vehicles, as a total average, is set at 100. Percentage numbers below 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while numbers that are greater than 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or statistically larger claims.

  Subaru Forester Insurance Loss Statistics

  Specific Subaru Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD	71	80	108	72	76	68
  Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD with Eyesight	74	66	118	77	78	53

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

Determine discounts to get cheap Seattle auto insurance quotes

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every possible discount in an easy-to-find place, so the below list has some of the more common and also the lesser-known credits available to you.

• Active Military Service – Being deployed in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Own a Home and Save – Just being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because owning a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Membership in Organizations – Joining a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
• Driver Education Discount – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school.
• No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like GEICO and Liberty Mutual will forgive one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a specific time period.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles have a lower chance of being stolen and that can save you a little bit as well.
• Sign Early and Save – A few auto insurance companies give discounts for signing up early. It’s a savings of about 10%.

You should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic.

A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.

• State Farm offers discounts for Drive Safe & Save, good student, accident-free, anti-theft, and multiple autos.
• GEICO offers discounts including anti-theft, good student, five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, and military active duty.
• Progressive discounts include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, and online quote discount.
• 21st Century may offer discounts for student driver, anti-lock brakes, early bird, theft prevention, 55 and older, and driver training.
• American Family includes discounts for defensive driver, Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, early bird, bundled insurance, good student, and air bags.
• The Hartford may include discounts for good student, defensive driver, air bag, vehicle fuel type, bundle, anti-theft, and driver training.
• AAA policyholders can earn discounts including AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, and good student.

If you are trying to find affordable Seattle auto insurance quotes, ask every insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts may not apply to policyholders everywhere. To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Seattle, click here.

Local insurance agents

Certain consumers still like to visit with an insurance agent and often times that is recommended One of the best bonuses of comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and also buy local.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information gets sent to agents in your area that can provide free Seattle auto insurance quotes for your coverage. You won’t even need to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent immediately to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you need to get a comparison quote for a specific company, feel free to search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.

Deciding on an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. Any agent in Seattle should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
• What discounts might you be missing?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
• Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
• When do they do policy reviews?

If you want a local Seattle insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agents in Seattle can be described as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies

Exclusive agents can only write with one company and examples are American Family, State Farm, and AAA. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they really need to provide good service. They are usually well trained on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Below are Seattle exclusive agencies who can help you get rate quotes.

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Independent Auto Insurance Agencies

Agents that choose to be independent do not work for one specific company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with many different companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a cheaper price, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.

The following is a list of independent insurance agents in Seattle who can help you get price quotes.

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Can you really save $463 a year?

Allstate and Progressive endlessly run ads in print and on television. All the ads try to convey promises that drivers will save a bundle if you change your auto insurance coverage to their company. How does every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? This is the trick they use.

Insurance companies have strict underwriting profiles for a prospective insured that will not have excessive claims. A good example of a profitable risk profile may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. Anybody that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good Seattle rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who do not match the ideal profile will probably be forced to pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The wording the ads use say “people that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those statements. Because every company is different, you really should get Seattle auto insurance quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you lower premium rates than your current company.

Persistence will pay off

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to reduce Subaru Forester insurance prices online in Seattle. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Seattle auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive Seattle auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the best prices are with the least-expected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give better rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

Affordable Subaru Forester insurance in Seattle can be found online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies do not provide rate quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, drivers have reduced full coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Even more information is located in these articles:

• Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Seattle? (FAQ)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for Government Employees in Seattle? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Handicapped Drivers in Seattle? (FAQ)
• Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Institute)
• Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
• Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)