Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Ram 3500 in Portland

How long has it been since you compared more competitive Dodge Ram 3500 insurance in Portland? Are you frustrated by the dozens of insurance companies in Portland? There are so many options that it can really be a difficult situation to locate the lowest rates for Dodge Ram 3500 insurance in Portland. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Portland has lots to offer, but the high cost of insurance can make it nearly impossible for many drivers to maintain proper levels of coverage.

It’s a known fact that auto insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Insureds who get comparison quotes once a year are very likely to switch to a new company because there is a great chance of finding lower rate quotes. A recent insurance study revealed that consumers who routinely shopped around saved $860 a year compared to those who never compared other company’s rates.

If finding the best price on car insurance is the reason for your visit, then learning a little about how to choose a company and compare insurance coverage can help you succeed in finding affordable rates.

Finding quotes for the most affordable insurance coverage in Portland is not as confusing as people think. Virtually each driver who comparison shops for insurance stands a good chance to be able to find better rates. Although Oregon drivers should learn how insurance companies calculate your insurance rates because rates fluctuate considerably.

Smart Choices Result in Lower Insurance Rates

Lots of factors are part of the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Most are fairly basic like your driving record, but other criteria are less apparent like your vehicle usage or your financial responsibility. Part of the car insurance buying process is learning some of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. If you have a feel for what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with lower rates.

Tickets can be expensive – Good drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single speeding ticket or other violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have gotten flagrant tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to prevent their license from being revoked.

The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents can increase Dodge Ram 3500 yearly insurance costs for different age categories. Data assumes a single male driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Prices are affected by your address – Having an address in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers and short commutes means fewer accidents. Drivers in populated Oregon areas have much more traffic and more time behind the wheel. More time on the road means a statistically higher chance of an accident.

Older drivers save more – Older, more experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to cause fewer accidents, and are safer drivers. Teen drivers have been known to be inattentive in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.

The following data is based on a single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Gender matters – Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women are responsible for accidents in similar percentages, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.

The information below illustrates the comparison of Dodge Ram 3500 premium costs for male and female drivers. The information is based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.

Does your vocation cost you more? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as military personnel, business owners, and emergency personnel tend to pay the highest rates due to job stress and lots of time spent away from family. On the other hand, careers like scientists, students and the unemployed receive lower rates.

Pay more out-of-pocket – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of some claims that would be covered are rear-ending another vehicle, vandalism, and damage from wind. The more damage repair cost the insured is willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.

Performance makes a difference – The type of car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a significant difference in your auto insurance rates. The lowest premiums are usually for low performance passenger cars, but your final cost has many other factors.

The chart below uses these variables: married female driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Dodge Ram 3500 policy rates compared to other makes and models that have different risk factors.

Coverage statistics and figures

The data table displayed below outlines different policy rates for Dodge Ram 3500 models. Having a good grasp of how insurance rates are calculated can help guide drivers when making smart buying decisions.

Table data represents married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Rates do not factor in specific location which can change auto insurance rates significantly.

Raise deductibles and save

One of the more difficult decisions when buying car insurance is how low should you set your deductibles. The data tables below illustrate the cost difference between high and low insurance deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location which can decrease or increase prices significantly.

Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $250 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $30 more each month or $360 each year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $750 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 25 months between claim filings, you would more than likely save some money if you decide on a higher deductible.

The illustration below shows how choosing a deductible and can increase or decrease Dodge Ram 3500 premium costs for each age group. The data is based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

Does full coverage make sense?

The information below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Ram 3500 premium costs with full coverage and liability only. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Guidelines for eliminating full coverage

There is no written rule of when to phase out comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Dodge Ram 3500 replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $7,000 after paying your policy deductible. If premiums are more than $700 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are a few situations where only buying liability is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.

Cheaper Dodge Ram 3500 insurance rates in Portland

Companies don’t always publicize every discount they offer in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details a few of the more well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that may apply to you.

• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle up can save 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
• E-sign – Some of the larger companies will give a small break for buying your policy over the internet.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Accident Free – Claim-free drivers get the best insurance rates as opposed to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Just owning your own home can help you save on insurance since owning and maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
• Professional Organizations – Being a member of specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations may earn a discount on insurance.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
• Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.

Policy discounts save money, but most discounts do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount should help reduce your policy premiums.

The example below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Ram 3500 annual premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. Data assumes a male driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Oregon state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-car, homeowner, marriage, and claim-free discounts applied.

Companies that may offer policyholders these money-saving discounts include:

• American Family
• State Farm
• 21st Century
• Travelers
• GEICO

Double check with each insurance company which discounts they offer. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply everywhere. To see insurance companies who offer free Dodge Ram 3500 insurance quotes in Oregon, click here to view.

In conclusion

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price, but do not skimp to save money.

We just covered many ideas to get a better price on Dodge Ram 3500 insurance in Portland. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get premium rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the best car insurance rates are with a small local company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

Steps to finding cheaper Dodge Ram 3500 insurance in Portland

If you want to save money, the best way to find the cheapest price for Dodge Ram 3500 insurance is to start comparing prices regularly from companies in Portland. You can compare rates by following these guidelines.

• Step 1: Read and learn about what coverages are included in your policy and the things you can control to lower rates. Many things that cause high rates like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a less-than-favorable credit score can be controlled by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
• Step 2: Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide price quotes for many different companies.
• Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save money and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.

An important bit of advice to remember is that you use identical deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and many rates to choose from.

For more information, feel free to browse these articles:

• Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Ford F-150 in Portland? (FAQ)
• Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)
• What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)
• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)