How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Clarence

Tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Iowa drivers.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every discount in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

Use Seat Belts - Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared to bad drivers.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Paperwork-free - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
Low Mileage Discounts - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you're out of luck.

To see a list of insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Clarence, follow this link.

How to Compare Clarence Auto Insurance Rates

Most companies allow you to get price estimates on the web. This process is quite simple as you simply type in into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price quote based on these factors. Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to each company's website and repetitively fill out multiple forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step in order to find a lower rate.

There is a better way!

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form to obtain quotes from several companies at one time. It's a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick your choice of the price quotes you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and could lower your rates considerably.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with deductibles and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will have comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Always keep insurance in force - Driving your car without having proper coverage is against the law and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Careers like lawyers, architects and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and lots of time spent at work. Other jobs such as farmers, historians and retirees get better rates.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Marriage brings a discount - Having a spouse helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more mature and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Insurance for personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These coverages may sound good at first, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Some companies provide better rates to insureds who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, you may still want to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Men are more aggressive - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both cause accidents in similar percentages, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO consistently run ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer might be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who do not match the requirements will be quoted more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Do the work, save more money

Lower-priced auto insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Clarence, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Learn more today

Additional detailed information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, find disaster information, and get help finding coverage.