How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Audubon

I can't think of a single person who cherishes buying car insurance, especially when their premiums are through the roof.

Numerous battle to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute lowest price

Audubon Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" car insurance companies consider when setting prices.

Drive a safer car and pay less - Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you.
Credit scores impact car insurance rates - Having a bad credit rating is a large factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit.
Theft deterrents lower rates - Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
What are your deductibles? - Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

Service Members Pay Less - Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
Air Bag Discount - Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
Homeowners Savings - Simply owning a home may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Good Student - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
55 and Retired - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

To choose insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Audubon, click this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads in print and on television. They all make the same claim about savings if you move to their company. How do they all make the same claim?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer could be between 25 and 40, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A customer who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don't measure up to the "perfect" profile will be quoted higher premiums which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads state "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why you should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which company will fit your personal profile best.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from an agent's advice.

Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Iowa?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Additional Iowa consumer information

Additional information can be found on the website for the Iowa Insurance Division through this link. Consumers can find disaster information, find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and report car insurance fraud.

Do the work, save more money

We just showed you some good ideas how to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the most savings is with a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as .

Cheap car insurance is possible from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Audubon agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.