It’s amazing but the vast majority of consumers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for a minimum of four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never compared rates to find lower-cost insurance. The average driver in Ohio could save about 55% each year by just shopping around, but most just don’t grasp the benefits if they changed companies.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to get affordable Dodge Stratus insurance is to annually compare prices from providers who provide auto insurance in Cincinnati. You can compare rates by completing these steps.
- Get a basic knowledge of how auto insurance works and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that result in higher rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and an unfavorable credit rating can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of companies. View rates
- Compare the new quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you find better rates and make a switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Provide notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your existing policy. Submit a down payment and signed policy application to the new company. As soon as coverage is bound, safely store the certificate verifying coverage above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
An important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare similar limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to compare as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this enables the most accurate price comparison and many rates to choose from.
Locating the lowest-priced auto insurance policy in Cincinnati is simple if you know the tricks. In essence, every driver who wants cheaper auto insurance will find better rates. But Ohio drivers benefit from understanding how insurance companies market on the web.
Save money on Dodge Stratus insurance in Cincinnati with these discounts
Some companies don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of some of the best known as well as the least known credits available to you.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Maintaining low annual mileage could earn lower insurance rates due to less chance of an accident.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more and also improve your driving technique.
- Senior Citizen Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
- Student Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class in school.
One last thing about discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including age of vehicle, good driver, annual mileage, multi-car, multi-policy, professional/association, and location of vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance includes discounts for pay in full, good student, alternative fuel, teen driver, switch companies, electronic funds transfer, and mature driver.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-policy, safe driver, good student, renewal discount, and 55 and retired.
- State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, good student, anti-theft, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, and student away at school.
- Allstate offers premium reductions for resident student, passive restraint, anti-theft, 55 and retired, and early signing.
- GEICO has savings for five-year accident-free, emergency military deployment, air bags, seat belt use, membership and employees, good student, and military active duty.
When getting free Cincinnati car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to each insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be available in your state. To see companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Ohio, follow this link.
Many insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive allow you to get pricing direct online. This process is pretty painless as you simply enter the coverages you want on the page. After the form is submitted, the system sends out for your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote based on many factors.
Using the web to get price quotes for Dodge Stratus insurance in Cincinnati helps simplify price comparisons, and it is important to get many rate quotes if you want to get the lowest possible payments on insurance.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you input the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this assures you will be getting a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.
The auto insurance companies shown below offer quotes in Cincinnati, OH. To buy the best auto insurance in Ohio, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Why Smart Buyers Pay Less for Dodge Stratus Insurance
Lots of things are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but others are more transparent such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.
Insurance premiums are higher for high performance vehicles – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you need to insure makes a huge difference in your rates. Economy passenger vehicles normally have pretty low rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
Avoid tickets and save – How you drive has a big impact on rates. Drivers who don’t get tickets pay lower auto insurance prices compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with serious citations like DUI or reckless driving might be required by their state to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state in order to legally drive.
Liability protection limits on your policy – Liability coverage will afford coverage if you are found to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Annual mileage and car insurance prices – The more miles you rack up on your Dodge in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure it. Almost all companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that sit idle most of the time qualify for better rates than those that get driven frequently. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows the correct usage for each vehicle. Incorrect rating for your Stratus is just wasting money.
Gender and insurance premiums – Statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. The data does not necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Males and females cause fender benders at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male teenagers are the most expensive to insure and therefore pay the highest rates.
Little extras can really add up – There are many add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying but may not be useful. Things like personal injury protection, towing coverage, and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but now you might not need them so remove them and pocket the money.
Your insurance coverage should be tailored to you
Always remember that when buying coverage, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Is my nanny covered when transporting my kids?
- Does rental coverage apply when I am renting a car?
- Does every company file a SR-22 automatically?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Does my policy cover me if I wreck while driving under the influence?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Buying from auto insurance agents
Many drivers still like to sit down with an agent and often times that is recommended A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get cheap car insurance quotes and still have a local agent. And supporting local insurance agents is still important in Cincinnati.
Once you complete this quick form, the quote information gets sent to agents in your area who can give free rate quotes for your car insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to even leave your home as quotes are delivered immediately to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you have a need to compare rates from a specific company, feel free to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
What type of Cincinnati auto insurance agent is right for you?
If you need to find a local insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the different agency structures and how they function. Agents in Cincinnati can be classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies can quote rates with many companies so they can write business with many different companies and find you cheaper rates. If premiums increase, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, you will definitely want to include price quotes from at least one independent agent to maximize your price options. A lot of them also have access to additional companies that you may not be familiar with which can be an advantage.
Featured below is a small list of independent agencies in Cincinnati that may be able to provide free price quotes.
- Hettesheimer Insurance Agency Inc.
3254 Montana Ave #1000 – Cincinnati, OH 45211 – (513) 661-7581 – View Map - R G Mc Graw Insurance Inc
324 E 4th St – Cincinnati, OH 45202 – (513) 381-7881 – View Map - Ohio Insurance Center
7404 Hamilton Ave – Cincinnati, OH 45231 – (513) 522-6300 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type can only quote rates from one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. They are unable to shop your coverage around so they really need to provide good service. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on what they offer which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. A lot of people buy from the same agent for years mostly because of the brand name and solid financial strength.
Shown below are Cincinnati exclusive agencies who can help you get price quotes.
- Beth Wilker – State Farm Insurance Agent
8406 Winton Rd – Cincinnati, OH 45231 – (513) 521-0884 – View Map - Harold Jones – State Farm Insurance Agent
9816 Springfield Pike – Cincinnati, OH 45215 – (513) 771-6226 – View Map - Connor Smith – State Farm Insurance Agent
9620 Colerain Ave #25 – Cincinnati, OH 45251 – (513) 385-3385 – View Map
Selecting an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Any agent in Cincinnati should have no problem answering these questions:
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Ohio?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Cincinnati?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
After receiving acceptable answers for all questions you ask as well as an affordable premium quote, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that will insure your vehicles. Just keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can cancel a policy whenever you choose to so don’t think that you’re stuck with the car insurance policy for the full term.
Car insurance just makes sense
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Dodge Stratus in Cincinnati, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific limits of liability protection if you want to drive legally. In Ohio these limits are 25/50/25 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Dodge Stratus with a loan, most banks will require you to have insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Dodge for a lot more money and require you to pay for it.
- Insurance safeguards both your Dodge Stratus and your assets. It will also reimburse you for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense in the event you are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially for larger claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is wasting up to $865 each year so compare quotes from several companies at least once a year to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Car insurance companies ranked
Ending up with a good quality insurance provider is hard considering how many companies there are in Cincinnati. The company ratings in the lists below may help you pick which car insurance companies to look at purchasing coverage from.
Top 10 Cincinnati Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- 21st Century
- GEICO
- Nationwide
- AAA Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- Safeco Insurance
- State Farm
- Travelers
- American Family
Cheaper car insurance is a realistic goal
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where someone dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost while still protecting your assets.
You just learned some good ideas how to lower your Dodge Stratus insurance prices in Cincinnati. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may even discover the best price on car insurance is with the least-expected company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
More information is located below:
- Teen Driving Statistics (GEICO)
- Who Has Cheap Cincinnati Auto Insurance for State Employees? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Cincinnati? (FAQ)
- How Much is Cincinnati Car Insurance for Postal Workers? (FAQ)
- Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)
- Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)