How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Council Bluffs

Expensive auto insurance can overdraw your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is a great way to cut your insurance bill. Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates quite often since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So ignore everything you know about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the proper way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but some must be asked about before you get the savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Sign Online - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
  • Senior Discount - Mature drivers may receive better auto insurance rates.
  • Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to bad drivers.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
  • College Student - Youth drivers who live away from home and don't have a car can receive lower rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Council Bluffs, click here.

Free Council Bluffs Auto Insurance Quotes

Performing a rate comparison can be exhausting if you aren't aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a lot of time driving to insurance agencies in Council Bluffs, or you could use online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Many insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The only downside to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify which carriers you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to compare, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Iowa. Click here to view list.

However you get your quotes, make darn sure you compare exactly the same coverage limits on every quote you get. If you use differing limits you can't possibly determine which rate is truly the best in Council Bluffs.

Council Bluffs Rates are Influenced by These Factors

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Being married is a good thing - Being married helps lower the price on auto insurance. It means you're more responsible and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
  • Men are more aggressive - Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean men are worse drivers. Women and men have accidents at about the same rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as doctors, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates due to high stress levels and lengthy work days. Other occupations like pilots, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping auto theft.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions may help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
  • Should I buy additional glass protection?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Council Bluffs?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?

If you can't answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

Is there truth in advertising?

Iowa drivers can't get away from ads for car insurance savings by State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change to their company.

How can each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't measure up to the requirements will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. The ads state "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, drivers must compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

A tidy conclusion

Cheap auto insurance is attainable on the web and also from your neighborhood Council Bluffs agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price.

Council Bluffs auto insurance comparison

Additional information is available on the website for the Iowa Insurance Division found here. Iowa drivers can get help finding coverage, learn about insurance regulations, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.