
Changing auto insurance companies can be easy or tiresome depending on your needs.Most consumers feel it is worth switching insurance companies if they will save considerable money, or if their current insurer has upset them with very poor customer service.We understand.
At , we offer a host of auto insurance options for consumers.Whether you are a , a senior driver, the parent of a college student, or someone else, we probably have access to an auto insurance company that suits your unique needs.Still, gathering documents and chasing quotes to get better rates might seem like a monumental task.
And you might be wondering, “Is it worth switching insurance companies?” We believe it is! Especially if a consumer can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.Keep reading to learn all about the pros and cons of changing insurance companies.Our licensed insurance agents are here to explain all you need to know about the entire process, and what to consider before changing insurance providers.
The Pros and Cons of Changing Auto Insurance Companies Let’s begin with the benefits of switching to a new auto insurance company.The first, and often most important point, is the financial savings.Money Talks: You Might Save a LOT From an insurer’s perspective, the best customers are those who: And , insurers are allowed to consider a person’s credit history when deciding how much they’ll pay for insurance.
However, over time, most insurance companies will gradually increase the premiums paid by even the best customers.If you are an ideal customer, or almost ideal, a new insurer will probably offer a very attractive low rate to attract your business.Ultimately, if you are looking to save money on insurance bills, shopping around is almost always worth the effort.
An individual with one auto might see savings of a few hundred dollars per year, while families with many autos could save even more.The next most important point for many consumers involves customer service, and the overall consumer experience.A New Insurer Might Make it Easy to Manage Your Policy If you are utterly fed up with your current auto insurance company, switch to another one! We believe lackluster customer service, a website that is continually broken, or the failure to return your calls and emails after a terrifying event (like after a car accident) is an excellent reason to find a new provider.
Assuming your premiums are paid, there is no real penalty for switching insurance companies mid-policy term.Your current insurer must refund the unused premiums to you, and that might take several weeks and a few follow-up phone calls.Find a Company That Suits Your Style Technology has changed how many insurance transactions are processed.
Many people prefer to deal with a website or have their bills automatically paid directly from their bank.Most auto insurance companies offer these options, so choose one that suits your lifestyle.Do you prefer to interact with a live human agent in your town? If so, consider visiting your local agents while also shopping online.
In the spirit of unbiased information, we should explain that human insurance agents do collect a commission for most policies they sell.These agents should be eager to compete for your business and provide excellent customer service to keep you around.However, the world of auto insurance is changing, especially in regards to AI assistance, web-based customer service, chat bots and so on.
Over the next few years, consumers will see far fewer human insurance agents, and far more AI assistance.(We’ve written extensively about these in another piece.) Internet-based policies may be more affordable for consumers, because there is no agent to collect a commission.And ultimately, most consumers will need to come to terms with internet-based insurance transactions sooner or later.
While you may prefer to enjoy a hot coffee while an insurance agent gives their little presentations, these one-on-one human interactions will soon be a distant memory.However, we suggest you try to find an agent or web-based provider who suits your personal preferences for policy management.A New Insurer May Align with Your Values When it comes to saving money, price is everything.
However, there are some insurance consumers who care less about the dollars and cents and more about their social responsibilities and values.Suppose you are particularly green-minded and concerned about the environment.You could shop specifically for insurers who honor these values.
The insurance industry does require a ton of paper and electricity for servers, after all.You can search for one that aligns with these, or other personal values.Now, let’s move forward to the negative aspects of changing auto insurance companies, i.e.
the “cons.” The Cons of Changing Auto Insurance Companies If you are switching auto insurance to get better rates, you should be aware of some potential hiccups and hurdles.Collecting Quotes Can Seem Like a Hassle Contacting insurers, filling out applications, and explaining your needs over and over can be tiresome.However, compare an afternoon of insurance shopping with savings of hundreds or thousands of dollars, and you’ll quickly see it is worth it to switch insurance companies.
Remember to try our handy online quoting tool, at Einsurance.com, as well.You can reach out to dozens of insurers at once, and they are ready to compete for you.After completing a few quick applications, your phone will be ringing with insurers who would love your business.
Just jot down their offerings, ask for a quote via email, and make your choice.Liability Only & Full Coverage: Read Coverage Limits Carefully Insurance agents like to say, “Let’s compare apples to apples.” Be sure you read quotes thoroughly, especially the coverage limits and deductibles.An auto policy that only offers the bare minimum of liability coverage will always cost much less than a full-coverage policy with extra bells and whistles.
Remember, all states require drivers to maintain liability coverage.And all lienholders (the bank or dealership to which you make a car payment) will require you to maintain full coverage to protect their interests in the vehicle.You May Lose Discounts When Changing Insurance Companies Most auto insurers offer special discounts to certain clients.
If you switch, you may lose some of these discounts, which could apply to your other policies.Progressive is an Excellent Example Major auto insurance companies spend incredible sums on marketing and advertising.For example, in 2024, Progressive spent a whopping dollars on ads.
They also spend a ton of money on market research, and they know the clients they wish to reach and retain.You are probably familiar with , which feature Flo and her cohorts.These ads target consumers who need multiple lines of insurance.
In addition to auto insurance, they need a home policy, a motorcycle policy, boat insurance, and so on.A consumer who has many types of policies might find a lot of savings with these bundles.However, when that consumer tries to remove one specific policy — just the auto policy, for instance — the prices on their other policies increase, because they lose part of the multi-policy discount.
Ask About Discounts However, most insurers do offer a variety of discounts.When shopping for quotes, be sure to ask about discounts for: You may discover that breaking up a bundle can still save money, overall.And if you need to pull all your policies away from one major insurer, remember that you can find them all at Einsurance.com! Now that we’ve explored most of the pros and cons of switching auto insurance companies, let’s get you prepared for the quoting process.
A Quick Note On Bundles, New Insurers and Whole Life Insurance If you break up a bundle of insurance products with one provider by pulling the auto policy, your costs for other policies may increase.The premium for a whole life insurance policy should not change, as a rule, whole life prices are guaranteed for life (assuming the premium is always paid on time.) Your new auto insurer will probably try to sell you some other types of insurance, too.They may offer a very attractive rate for a whole life policy.
Just remember, whole life policies generate a cash value.If you cancel a whole life policy to start a new one, you lose that established cash value and start again.It’s worth considering if you’ve owned a whole life policy for a few years.
How to Change Insurance Companies Without a Coverage Gap Again, auto insurance is a legal requirement in every state.So, you must be sure your new coverage begins at the very moment your old coverage ends.First, grab your current auto policy.
It will show important information like: If you are near the end of your current policy, provide that end-date to be sure you will not have any coverage gap.If you are in the middle of a policy, you can select any date for your new coverage to start.Once new coverage is in place, contact your old insurer, tell them you have a new policy elsewhere, and ask them about getting your refund for the unused premiums.
Pro Tip: You may need to follow up with your old insurer in a month or two to collect that premium balance.It is owed to you, so chase it, especially if you are switching auto insurance to get better rates.More Info on Auto Insurance Coverage Gaps & Avoiding Them It is vital to avoid car insurance coverage gaps if possible.
Auto insurance underwriters feel uncomfortable insuring individuals who have coverage gaps on their history.From the insurer’s perspective, a gap in auto coverage could mean someone: Now, there may be times in an adult’s life where they may not own a car, and therefore, may not need auto insurance.Still, if a person plans on driving anyone else’s car, or driving vehicles for their employer, they may wish to purchase non-owner coverage.
This helps to prove to future insurers that a consumer is aware of risks and wishes act responsibly and protect themselves financially.And, in the case of major life upheavals (like a divorce or death of a spouse), an existing non-driver policy may help these consumers get a discounted rate on , or other important coverages in the future.In sum, non-owner auto insurance is cheap, and it is a good value for people who do not currently own a car.
Our Final Thoughts on Switching Auto Insurance Companies, the Pros and Cons Over the years, our team has heard from thousands of consumers thinking about switching their auto policies to a new provider.The bulk of their complaints have to do with premium price creep, that is, the tendency for insurers to continually increase prices, even for excellent drivers with claims-free histories.We’ve also heard consumers switch auto insurance because: No matter what your reasoning is, the competent team of agents and brokers at Einsurance.com can help you find the perfect match for your auto insurance needs.
We invite you to try our online quoting tool and wait for some quotes.You might be amazed at how happy you will be with a brand new insurer.
Publisher: EINSURANCE