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

Nobody likes paying for car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much.

Numerous battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the lowest rate

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies that sell car insurance don't always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both the well known and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.

Safety Course Discount - Completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of certain professional organizations may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
Claim Free - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared with drivers who are more careless.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

Tips to Get Lower Cedar Falls Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate premiums.

Do you need those extra coverages? - There are quite a few additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These coverages may sound good initially, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some insurance companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who have multiple policies with them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to 10 percent or more. Even with this discount, it's still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
Liability insurance protects assets - Your policy's liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Males pay more for insurance - Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.

Insurance agents can help

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might point out whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent's advice.

Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?

If you can't answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Save $429 a year? Really?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How do they all claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be between 25 and 40, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay higher rates and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

For more Iowa car insurance information

Additional detailed information is located at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about insurance regulations.

Shop smart and save

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents in Cedar Falls, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some car insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.