Astonishing but true according to a recent study, most car insurance buyers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for a minimum of four years, and nearly the majority have never even compared quotes to find cheap rates. Consumers in Oregon could cut their rates by nearly 60% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they underestimate the amount of money they would save if they replace their high priced policy.
The best way we recommend to get more affordable Honda Clarity insurance in Portland is to regularly compare prices from insurers who sell insurance in Oregon.
First, read about the coverage provided by your policy and the steps you can take to keep rates down. Many rating factors that cause rate increases like accidents, careless driving, and a low credit score can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Second, request rate estimates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes for many different companies.
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find better rates and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The key thing to remember is to try to compare identical coverages on every quote request and and to get price quotes from as many auto insurance providers as possible. This enables a level playing field and and a good selection of different prices.
Buying the cheapest auto insurance in Portland is actually very simple if you learn how to start. If you have a policy now or need a new policy, use these money-saving tips to cut your premiums while maximizing coverage. Comparison shoppers only need an understanding of how to get comparison rates from many companies at once.
Companies offering Honda Clarity insurance in Portland
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Oregon. To find the best cheap auto insurance in Portland, we suggest you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Lower-cost Honda Clarity insurance rates in Portland
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following list contains a few of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts that may be available.
- Claim Free – Insureds with no claims or accidents can earn big discounts as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Employee of Federal Government – Active or former government employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control can stop better under adverse conditions so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Telematics Discount – Insureds who allow their insurance company to track driving patterns by using a telematics device such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive might get better premium rates if they are good drivers.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Portland can get you a discount because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
One last thing about discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.
Car insurance companies that may include most of these discounts may include but are not limited to:
Before buying, ask every prospective company which discounts they offer. Some credits might not be available to policyholders in Portland.
Are insurance agents obsolete?
Certain consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and that can be a smart move Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get lower auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent.
By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information gets sent to agents in your area that provide free Portland auto insurance quotes for your car insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact any insurance agencies because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. If you want to get a price quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
Selecting a company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- How are they compensated?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- What companies can they write with?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
- How often do they review coverages?
If you are wanting to purchase car insurance from a reliable insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance agencies are classified as either exclusive or independent. Either one can provide car insurance policies, but it is important to understand how they are different because it can factor into which agent you choose.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They are unable to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. Exclusive insurance agents are usually well trained on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Portland who may provide you with price quotes.
State Farm: Jared Dean
101 SW Main St #915 – Portland, OR 97204 – (503) 222-6601 – View Map
Dan Lucich – State Farm Insurance Agent
1516 NE 15th Ave – Portland, OR 97232 – (503) 287-3757 – View Map
John Lokting – State Farm Insurance Agent
307 SE 102nd Ave – Portland, OR 97216 – (503) 252-5581 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type are appointed with more than one company so they can write business amongst many companies and find you the best rates. If they find a cheaper price, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to do anything.
When shopping rates, you will want to compare quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to have the best price comparison.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in Portland that are able to give price quote information.
Darrell Grenz Insurance Agency
5651 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97203 – (503) 206-6736 – View Map
Ross and Associates Insurance Services, Inc.
9201 SE 91st Ave – Portland, OR 97086 – (503) 698-3833 – View Map
Focus 1 Insurance
1500 NW 18th Ave #107 – Portland, OR 97209 – (503) 206-6588 – View Map
If you feel you receive answers to your satisfaction and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can be relied on to properly insure your vehicles. Keep in mind you can always terminate coverage at any time so don’t feel you’re contractually obligated to your new company for the entire policy term.
Coverage specifics
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.
Insurance for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses, dental work and funeral costs. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Clarity from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door, rolling your car, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Clarity to save money on collision insurance.
Auto liability insurance
This coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 25/50/20 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $20,000 of coverage for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things such as medical expenses, court costs, repair costs for stationary objects and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Oregon requires minimum liability limits of 25/50/20 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
The chart below shows why buying low liability limits may not provide you with enough coverage.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass, hail damage and hitting a deer. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Honda Clarity.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Oregon limits are 25/50/20), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
One last thing about your coverage
When getting Portland auto insurance quotes online, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, drivers have reduced collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost.
Lower-priced insurance in Portland can be found online and with local Portland insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and usually these regional carriers only sell through independent agencies.
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