How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Auto Insurance in Hills

No one in their right mind likes paying for auto insurance, especially knowing their premiums are through the roof. Numerous battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the lowest rate

It's important to price shop coverage periodically since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest rates a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

If you are insured now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to shop for the lowest rates while maximizing coverage. Finding the best rates in Hills is not that difficult. Iowa consumers only need to know the most efficient way to shop for auto insurance online.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

  • Sex matters - Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit.
  • Save money with special equipment - Owning a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Choose a safe vehicle and save - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down some of the best known as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren't giving you every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Accident Forgiveness - A few companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
  • Student Driver Training - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in high school.
  • Military Discounts - Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
  • No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
  • Senior Discount - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Hills, click this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Iowa drivers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you move your policy.

How do they all say the same thing?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will have to pay more money which leads to business not being written. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Different people need different coverages

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone's situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent's assistance.

  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If it's difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Even more information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Iowa drivers can learn about insurance regulations, find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and find disaster information.

Iowa auto insurance

A tidy conclusion

The cheapest auto insurance is possible on the web in addition to many Hills insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as .