If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get more affordable BMW X1 insurance is to compare quotes annually from insurance carriers who provide car insurance in Cleveland.
- Step 1: Try to learn about how car insurance works and the measures you can control to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that are responsible for high rates like multiple speeding tickets and poor credit rating can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Step 2: Quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices from multiple sources. Compare rates
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates and determine if cheaper X1 coverage is available. If you find a lower rate quote and change companies, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your decision to cancel the current policy. Submit a completed application and payment to the new insurer. As soon as you can, place your new certificate verifying coverage with your registration paperwork.
An essential thing to point out is to try to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to get price quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this helps ensure a fair price comparison and the best rate selection.
It’s hard to fathom, but most insurance buyers have purchased from the same company for well over three years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never even compared quotes to find affordable rates. Many consumers in Ohio could cut their rates by as much as $729 a year just by comparing rates, but they don’t know the amount of money they would save if they bought a different policy.
When quoting insurance, remember that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting more affordable insurance. Some companies don’t provide Cleveland X1 insurance quotes over the internet, so it’s important to also get quotes from those companies as well.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer free quotes in Cleveland, OH. If you want the best cheap car insurance in Ohio, we recommend you visit as many as you can in order to find the most affordable rates.
Why do I need car insurance?
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Cleveland, insuring your vehicle is not optional due to several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability insurance 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 have a loan on your BMW X1, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it mandatory that you buy full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your BMW for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your BMW and your assets. It will also cover medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers legal expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your X1 are without a doubt worth the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is wasting up to $830 a year so we recommend shopping around at least once a year to save money.
These six discounts can lower your car insurance rates
Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts you could be receiving when you buy Cleveland car insurance online.
- Military Deployment Discount – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Insuring multiple cars on a single policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Distant Student Discount – Kids who attend college more than 100 miles from Cleveland and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Early Switch Discount – Select insurance companies give a discount for signing up early. This can save 10% or more.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Good Grades Discount – Being a good student may save as much as 25% on a Cleveland car insurance quote. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
As a footnote on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.
If you would like to view car insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Cleveland, click this link.
You may need help from an agent
Some consumers still prefer to visit with an insurance agent and doing that can be a smart decision A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is you can get lower rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local agencies is especially important in Cleveland.
Once you complete this simple form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Cleveland who will gladly provide quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to contact any agents since price quotes are sent directly to your email. You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent. If you need to quote rates from a specific insurance company, feel free to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.
If you need to find a local insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Auto insurance agents in Cleveland can be classified as either exclusive or independent.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents of this type can quote rates with many companies so as a result can place your coverage through lots of different companies and find you cheaper rates. If you want to switch companies, the business is moved internally and you stay with the same agent.
When comparing auto insurance prices, it’s recommended you contact a couple of independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison.
Featured below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Cleveland that may be able to give you competitive price quotes.
Anthony Insurance
508 E 185th St – Cleveland, OH 44119 – (216) 531-5555 – View Map
Bass Ohio Insurance Agency LLC
815 Superior Avenue E, Suite 1412 – Cleveland, OH 44114 – (440) 862-0352 – View Map
Mraz Insurance Agency
20180 Center Ridge Rd – Cleveland, OH 44116 – (440) 356-2055 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Exclusive insurance agents can only write with one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Exclusive agencies are unable to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Exclusive agencies receive a lot of sales training in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Cleveland who can help you get rate quotes.
State Farm: Stan Harris
12429 Cedar Road, Suite 26 – Cleveland Heights, OH 44106 – (216) 791-1006 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Eslick Insurance and Financial Services
2775 S Moreland Blvd Ste 203 – Cleveland, OH 44120 – (216) 283-5570 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Teresa C. Paez
15105 Puritas Ave – Cleveland, OH 44135 – (216) 362-6526 – View Map
Choosing the best auto insurance agent requires more thought than just the premium amount. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
Car insurance coverages for a BMW X1
Learning about specific coverages of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your BMW X1.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/25 in Ohio), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Liability – Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things such as court costs, loss of income and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Ohio state minimum liability requirements are 25/50/25 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
The chart below shows why the minimum limit may not provide you with enough coverage.
Comprehensive insurance – This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things like hitting a bird, hitting a deer, vandalism, rock chips in glass and fire damage. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills such as dental work, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision – This pays for damage to your X1 resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims like driving through your garage door, colliding with another moving vehicle and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible on your X1 in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Keep this in mind when shopping around
Discount BMW X1 insurance in Cleveland is attainable both online and with local Cleveland insurance agents, so you need to quote Cleveland car insurance with both to have the best selection. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers only sell through independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
Other learning opportunities
- Five Tips to Save on Auto Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 50 in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a School Permit in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for Teenage Females in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teenagers in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Unemployed Drivers in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)
- Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)