Selecting a auto insurance company in Youngstown, OH can be time consuming since there are a lot of options and choosing the right Youngstown car insurance agent is not as easy as just using the same auto insurance agent as your neighbor. Consumers require a decent agent, and also the lowest rates for auto insurance in Youngstown.
Drivers have so many car insurance agents to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, having more car insurance agents makes it harder to find the lowest cost provider.
Local Youngstown auto insurance agents
Good agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your information is submitted to participating agents in Youngstown who will battle to get your business. There is no reason to drive around since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! It’s the lowest rates AND a local agent.
Picking an insurance agency requires more thought than just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
Compare rates from both independent and captive auto insurance agents
When researching local Youngstown agents, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Agencies in Youngstown can either be captive or independent.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company and some examples include AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captives are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mainly due to loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.
Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Youngstown that can give you comparison quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 374 Boardman Poland Rd – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 758-5753
- State Farm Insurance – 727 E Western Reserve Rd – Youngstown, OH 44514 – (330) 726-2112
- Allstate Insurance Co – 5353 Belmont Ave – Youngstown, OH 44505 – (330) 759-2121
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, you should always include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.Most can insure with smaller companies which can be an advantage.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Youngstown that can give you comparison quotes.
- Acme Bonding Agency – 22 W Boardman St – Youngstown, OH 44503 – (330) 746-2130
- Nationwide Insurance – 5385 Market St – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 755-1253
- Watt Agency – 4305 Market St – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 755-2145
- Gibbs Insurance – 2023 Belmont Ave # 1 – Youngstown, OH 44505 – (330) 747-1921
- Elaine Schuller Agency – 5437 Mahoning Ave – Youngstown, OH 44515 – (330) 779-0721
To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Youngstown, visit this link.
Once you have positive responses to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.
The online alternatives
Insurance agents are a valuable resource, but you can also find affordable Ohio auto insurance direct from companies that only sell online. Some companies, such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm, that sell primarily through agents also give you the ability to get a quote and buy online, so keep that in mind.
If you’re uncomfortable with not having an insurance agent’s advice when shopping online, this is normal but is quickly overcome. Insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages all provide contact methods for getting questions answered.
If you have the time, the only way to find out if the cheapest policy comes from an agent or online is comparing prices for both of them. You may actually get a different price when using both online and agent quotes from the same car insurance company. It’s difficult to tell which has the best rates without quoting coverages for both.
Do people save by buying online? That question is hard to answer since companies use quite a few components that can increase policy rates. It would make sense to think that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company reduces premiums because there is no agent. But in most cases, marketing their products costs a lot of money so the lack of a commission may be a wash.
One last thing about your coverage
Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, being labeled a high risk driver, high prices or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
As you prepare to switch companies, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
For more reading
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read consumer alerts, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
The following articles may also be useful.
