Pricey auto insurance in Seattle can dwindle your bank account and maybe even restrict other spending. Doing a rate analysis is recommended to tighten up your finances.
Amazingly, over 70% of Washington drivers kept their policy with the same company for over three years, and nearly the majority have never compared rates from other carriers. The average driver in the U.S. could pocket nearly 46.5% a year by just comparing quotes, but they underestimate the amount of money they would save if they switched to a more affordable policy. Drivers have multiple auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
Our objective in writing this article is to help you learn the most effective ways to compare rates and some tricks to saving. If you have a policy now, you stand a good chance to be able to find better prices using this information. You just have to understand the best way to compare price quotes online from multiple companies.
Cheapest companies for BMW Alpina B7 insurance in Washington
The companies in the list below provide free quotes in Washington. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Lower Insurance Rates with These Tips
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the factors that help calculate your policy premiums. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that may result in cheaper rates. Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but other criteria are less apparent like where you live and annual miles driven.
The factors shown below are some of the most common factors companies use to determine your premiums.
- Extra policy coverages that aren’t used – Policies have add-on coverages that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Coverages like rental car coverage, accidental death, and Farm Bureau memberships are some examples. They may sound like good ideas when you first buy your policy, but if you’ve never needed them in the past get rid of them and save.
- Age of drivers impacts premiums – Inexperience drivers are proven to be less responsible when at the wheel of a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. More experienced drivers are shown to be more cautious, file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.
- Vehicles with better crash test results mean better prices – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims which can result in lower premiums.
- Lower physical damage deductibles cost more – The deductibles tell how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are a windshield broken by a bird, collision with a deer, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Big cities mean more claims – Residing in less populated areas of the country is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. Fewer drivers on the road corresponds to lower accident rates. Residents of big cities regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
- Cheap prices for being claim-free – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Washington award most affordable rates to people that do not abuse their auto insurance. Auto insurance is intended for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
- Gender impacts rates – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Males and females are responsible for fender benders at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Not only that, but men also get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI.
- Rates impacted by vehicle usage – Driving a lot of miles annually the higher your rate. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Verify your auto insurance policy reflects the correct usage for each vehicle. A policy that improperly rates your Alpina B7 may be wasting your money.
Insurance policy discounts for BMW Alpina B7 insurance in Seattle
Some insurance providers do not list every discount they offer in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy Seattle auto insurance online.
- Multiple Cars – Purchasing coverage when you have more than one vehicle on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some larger companies provide a discount for switching policies early. It can save you around 10%.
- Membership in Organizations – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in Seattle is a good way to get lower rates on your next renewal.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but certain companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before they charge you more for coverage if you have no claims before the accident.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on Seattle auto insurance quote in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Driver’s Ed – Have your child take driver’s ed class in high school.
As a footnote on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
Large insurance companies and some of the discounts include:
- Progressive includes discounts for online signing, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, homeowner, and multi-policy.
- MetLife may include discounts for good driver, accident-free, defensive driver, good student, claim-free, multi-policy
- Mercury Insurance has discounts for low natural disaster claims, annual mileage, accident-free, anti-theft, multi-policy, location of vehicle, and good driver.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, easy pay, accident-free, family plan, defensive driving, and good student.
- GEICO has savings for multi-policy, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, and defensive driver.
- AAA offers premium reductions for AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, good driver, anti-theft, multi-car, and education and occupation.
When quoting, ask each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Savings may not be available in Seattle. To find insurers who offer free BMW Alpina B7 insurance quotes in Washington, click this link.
Buying from auto insurance agents
Many people prefer to go talk to an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Professional insurance agents can help you choose the best coverages and help submit paperwork. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is you may find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local agents is important particularly in Seattle.
Once you complete this quick form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered to your email. If you want to compare prices from a specific company, just search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
The difference between Seattle car insurance agents
If you want an insurance agent, it’s important to understand the different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agents can be categorized as either independent or exclusive. Either type can insure your vehicles properly, but we need to point out how they are different since it could factor into the type of agent you choose.
Independent Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are appointed with more than one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and find the cheapest rate. If you want to switch companies, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you can keep the same agent. When comparing rates, you need to get quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.
Below is a partial list of independent agents in Seattle that can possibly get you price quotes.
Sav-On Insurance
9614 17th Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98106 – (206) 767-7444 – View Map
Seattle Insurance
2414 SW Andover St – Seattle, WA 98106 – (206) 937-4613 – View Map
Sound Insurance Agency, Inc.
9627 Aurora Ave N – Seattle, WA 98103 – (206) 527-0888 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive have only one company to place business with like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot place coverage with different providers so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive agencies are usually well trained on the products they sell which can be an advantage.
The following is a list of exclusive agencies in Seattle that are able to give price quote information.
Terry Gangon – State Farm Insurance Agent
4727 44th Ave SW Ste 100 – Seattle, WA 98116 – (206) 935-9955 – View Map
Brian Chambers – State Farm Insurance Agent
3206 16th Ave W – Seattle, WA 98119 – (206) 285-3003 – View Map
Ezra Teshome – State Farm Insurance Agent
1510 14th Ave – Seattle, WA 98122 – (206) 322-3910 – View Map
Finding a good insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Who are their largest clients?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Upon getting acceptable answers for all questions you ask as well as a price you’re happy with, you may have found an auto insurance agent that is reputable and can service your policy.
Your car insurance coverage should be tailored to you
When selecting adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Your situation is unique and your car insurance should be unique as well.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if you could use an agent’s help.
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- How much coverage applies to personal belongings?
- Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
- Does low annual mileage earn a discount?
- Is upholstery damage covered by car insurance?
- When can my company non-renew my policy?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my BMW Alpina B7 is totaled?
If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.
One last thing to lower rates
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, someone dropped full coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
More affordable car insurance in Seattle is definitely available from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so you need to shop Seattle auto insurance with both to get a complete price analysis. Some car insurance companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.
To read more, take a look at the articles below:
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Young Drivers in Seattle? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota RAV4 in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)