Compare West Allis Auto Insurance Prices With These Tips

Are you intimidated by the dozens of auto insurance options in West Allis? You have a lot of company. There are so many choices that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to compare prices.

Finding affordable coverage in West Allis is quite easy. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Wisconsin drivers only need an understanding of the most efficient way to compare prices over the internet.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in West Allis, Wisconsin

There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices and some are more efficient than others. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in West Allis, or you can stay home and use the web to get the quickest rates.

All the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and at least one company provides a quote based on that information. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.

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

The single downside to using this type of system is you can't choose which companies to get pricing from. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Wisconsin. Click to view list.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage information on every quote. If the quotes have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to make a fair comparison in West Allis.

auto insurance in West Allis

What determines how much you pay?

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine premiums.

  • Drive a safer car and pay less - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The more you're willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in Wisconsin are known to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
  • Multiple policies with one company can save - Many companies will award you with lower prices to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it's in your best interest to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find a better deal by buying auto insurance from a different company.
  • Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one citation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to keep their license.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance do not list all available discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you don't get every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Student in College - Children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Driver Safety - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
  • Discount for Good Grades - Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance.
  • Discount for New Cars - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Wisconsin, follow this link.

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Wisconsin consumers can find disaster information, report car insurance fraud, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Other useful links include this resource for Wisconsin auto insurance prices and this page of West Allis insurance agents.

And the best car insurance company is...

Cost effective auto insurance can be bought online and with local West Allis insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.