How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Eddyville

Tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other Iowa consumers. Because there are so many car insurance companies to choose from, it can be hard to pick the most affordable car insurance company.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every discount very well, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you don't get every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Seat Belt Usage - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Anti-lock Brakes - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
  • Driver Safety - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Iowa, click here.

Cheap Eddyville Car Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways you can shop for car insurance and some are more efficient than others. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance companies in Eddyville, or you could save time and use online quoting to get the quickest rates.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company returns a competitive quote. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one downside to using this type of system is you cannot specify which carriers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare rates, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Iowa. Click to view list.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using apples-to-apples information on every quote. If you are comparing higher or lower deductibles it's impossible to make a fair comparison in Eddyville.

Tips to Get Lower Eddyville Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Always keep insurance in force - Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a guaranteed way to bump up your car insurance costs. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may need to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Iowa DMV.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in Iowa generally give discounts to insureds who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Where you live can impact rates - Being located in small towns and rural areas can save you money when talking about car insurance. Urban drivers have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount - Many insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Do men or women drive better? - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes have accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
  • Car features impact rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder auto theft.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Iowa are known to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.

Is there truth in advertising?

Consumers in Iowa can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.

But how can every company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and has great credit. Any driver that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be quoted higher rates and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Best coverage at the best price

When you buy insurance online, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Cheaper car insurance can be purchased both online as well as from independent agents in Eddyville, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

Learn more today

Even more information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Additional helpful sites include this site for car insurance information in Iowa and this list of agents in Eddyville, IA.