Tightwads Guide to Saving on Dunkerton Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you're not alone.

Because there are so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to find the lowest cost insurance company.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like doctors, architects and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates due to high stress and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like actors, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
  • Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • An active claims history can cost you - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in Iowa provide discounts to drivers who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.
  • Cautious drivers pay less - A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Good drivers get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. If you have severe violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Men fork out a little more - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don't assume that women are better drivers. Women and men have accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
  • Marriage pays dividends - Being married actually saves money when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money - There are a lot of extra coverages that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships are examples of these. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every discount very well, so here is a list both the well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

  • Accident Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Discount for Good Grades - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
  • No Charge for an Accident - Some insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when it seems like it's possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Iowa, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing that you can save if you move to them. But how can every company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can claim big savings. This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information is available at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, find disaster information, download brochures, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include this online resource for auto insurance quotes in Iowa and this list of insurance agents in Dunkerton.

auto insurance in Dunkerton

Final considerations

Affordable auto insurance is definitely available both online and with local Dunkerton insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

We covered many ways to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small mutual company. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like .