Proven Techniques to Save on Courtenay Car Insurance

Are you tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as millions of other consumers. Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with advertising and it can be hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Courtenay is easy if you know what you're doing. North Dakota vehicle owners just need to know how to compare prices online.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Courtenay

There are several ways you can shop for car insurance but some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day talking to agents in Courtenay, or you could save time and use the web to get rates in a matter of minutes.

All the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each company returns a competitive quote. This saves time by eliminating quote forms for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The one downside to comparing rates this way is that you can't choose which companies to get quotes from. So if you want to select specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have a page of car insurance companies in North Dakota. View list of North Dakota insurance companies.

It's up to you which method you use, but double check that you are using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If you compare different values for each quote it's impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Courtenay.

What determines how much you pay?

It's important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine prices.

Rates may be lower depending on your job - Careers like lawyers, business owners and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations like farmers, historians and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
More claims means more premium - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Companies in North Dakota award cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
How's your driving record? - A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. If you have severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - The majority of insurers provide better rates to policyholders who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Sex matters - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don't assume that women are better drivers. They both have accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
Proper usage rating affects rates - The more you drive every year the higher your rate. Most companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy is rated on the correct driver usage.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance companies don't always publicize every discount in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you're just leaving money on the table.

Accident Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared to frequent claim filers.
Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
Theft Prevention System - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
Good Students Pay Less - Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
New Car Discount - Adding a new car to your policy can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Courtenay, click here to view.

More detailed North Dakota car insurance information can be found at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. Consumers can read industry bulletins, download brochures, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Best coverage at the best price

We just showed you some good ideas how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the lowest premiums are with some of the lesser-known companies. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

When buying insurance coverage, it's not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.