Top Ways to Save on Wind Lake Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as millions of other consumers.

Popular companies such as GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with TV and radio ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to check auto insurance prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you're about to find out the quickest way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Finding affordable coverage in Wind Lake is quite easy. Nevertheless, Wisconsin vehicle owners do need to know how insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance companies don't list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

  • Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Wind Lake can save you money because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Accident Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
  • Memberships - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.
  • Military Rewards - Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
  • Sign Online - A few companies give back up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.
  • One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

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

Cheap Wind Lake Auto Insurance Comparisons

The are a couple different ways of comparing rate quotes and find the best price. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way to get quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from multiple companies.
  • A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online requires a trip to each individual company website and complete a new quote form. For example, let's say you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Wind Lake, click here.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using exactly the same quote information on every quote. If you have mixed coverages it's impossible to make a fair comparison in Wind Lake. Slightly different coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, quoting more will improve the odds of getting a better price.

What determines how much you pay?

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 determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Bump up deductibles to save - Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. The higher the amount you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Jobs such as lawyers, social workers and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of job stress and long work days. Other occupations like farmers, historians and retirees have the lowest average rates.
  • Protect your assets with liability insurance - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Car features impact rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
  • Being married is a good thing - Having a spouse helps lower the price on auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Proper usage rating affects rates - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies price each vehicle's coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
  • How many coverages with the same company - Some insurance companies will give a discount to people who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to 10 percent or more. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you change to them. How can each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't qualify for the requirements will have to pay higher rates and this can result in business not being written. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why insurance companies can confidently make those claims. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Affordable insurance is out there

Cost effective auto insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Wind Lake insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to compare auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

Learn more today

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Wisconsin drivers can report car insurance fraud, read industry bulletins, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.