Lower Online Ridgeland Auto Insurance Prices With These Techniques

If online auto insurance comparisons are new to you, you may be overwhelmed by the vast number of auto insurance companies competing for business in Ridgeland.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you're not getting every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Homeowners Savings - Owning a home in Ridgeland can help you save on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
  • Save over 55 - Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
  • Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Wisconsin, click here to view.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

Most companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive provide price estimates on their websites. This process is quite simple as you just enter your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the company's rating system will obtain your driving and credit reports and provides a quote.

Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to perform this step if you want to find better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to compare rates uses one form to get prices from several different companies. The form is fast, eliminates repetitive work, and makes quoting online much easier. After sending your information, it gets priced and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you type in the insurance coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will receive a fair comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes some of the items used by your company to calculate premiums.

  • What are your deductibles? - Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, vandalism, and burglary. The more expense you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
  • Do you know you're credit rating? - A driver's credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Owning a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can help prevent car theft.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Teen drivers in Wisconsin tend to get distracted easily behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a teenage driver onto a policy can be very expensive. Older drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.

Different people need different coverages

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone's needs are different.

For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent's assistance.

  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
  • Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
  • Are rental cars covered under my policy?
  • Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?

If you're not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Wisconsin consumers can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential customers who are not a match for these standards must pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which company will give you the biggest savings.

And the best car insurance company is...

Cheaper auto insurance is possible online as well as from independent agents in Ridgeland, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

You just read some good ideas how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a small local company.

People who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices or not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.

Wisconsin auto insurance

Additional Wisconsin consumer information

Even more information can be read at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Wisconsin consumers can report car insurance fraud, find out industry alerts, and view a list of available companies.