Having the pleasure of being in the insurance means that I receive many questions from curious consumers. However the most common question I receive by far is how to save money on Michigan car insurance. The majority always have a sense they are paying more than they have to which tends to be true. When I hear this question I always turn around and ask them how many years they have been insured with their present carrier. A good portion of the time the ones who have shown the most loyalty are paying the most. Unfortunately loyalty is not always rewarded in the insurance world. I tell them that it is smart to shop the competition once a year or if your agent is independent ask them to do so. Insurance companies are constantly changing their rates and what may have been a good deal for you when you initially signed up may no longer be the case.
The reason most people do not like shopping around is because they have better things to do. In this situation I always stress that they need to seek out a local independent agent. The benefit of an independent agent is that they represent numerous top rated companies versus being tethered to one company. This allows them to shop with numerous companies for you. This will save the hassle of shopping and you continue to deal with one agent. A common question about independent agents is if they charge a fee for their service which they do not. Independent agents are compenstated very simliarily to agents who are employees and only represent one company. Some carriers distibute their products internally through their employees and other carriers use independent agencies to sell their products. Either way you will notice that an agent who can run quotes from various companies will normally find the lowest rates.
Just remember the next time you open up you Michigan car insurance renewal and you notice it has gone up you have options. It means it probably is time to shop around with some other companies and figure out how much you could save. If thinking about insurance shopping gives you a headache then you will want to find a local independent agent to do the shopping on your behalf. You may be able to end up saving yourself a couple hundred dollars with minimal effort on your part.