How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Irwin

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, many consumers are feeling buyer's remorse and feel like there's no way out. Numerous battle for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a to find the lowest price

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as real estate brokers, business owners and accountants have higher rates than average attributed to high stress levels and lengthy work days. On the flip side, professions such as actors, athletes and the unemployed get better rates.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The more expense you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Special features that cut premiums - Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart car theft.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a lot of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren't careful. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment at first, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If they aren't giving you every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Organization Discounts - Affiliation with certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
  • Claim Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Insuring multiple cars or trucks with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
  • Student Driver Training - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education in high school.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Irwin, click here to view.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Iowa drivers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you move your coverage to them.

How do they all say the same thing?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who fall outside the "perfect" profile must pay a higher premium and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Even more information can be read at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Iowa drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, and view a list of available companies.

A tidy conclusion

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from independent agents in Irwin, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.