Tightwads Guide for Saving on Leon Car Insurance

Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as the majority of other car owners in Iowa.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies don't always advertise all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden car insurance savings.

Military Discounts - Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
No Claims - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Leon may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Employee of Federal Government - Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Air Bag Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts up to 30%.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you're out of luck.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into premiums.

Safer occupants lowers premiums - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and lots of time spent at work. Other jobs such as farmers, historians and performers pay the least.
Bump up deductibles to save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
More claims means more premium - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Iowa provide cheaper rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Better credit scores mean better rates - A driver's credit history is a large factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower credit scores.
Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
Multiple policies with one company can save - Many companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders 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 other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Women pay lower rates - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. They both cause accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.

Switch companies and save? Really?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy. How can each company make the same claim?

All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who do not match the requirements must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's why insurance companies can claim big savings. This illustrates why drivers should compare many company's rates. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more today

Additional detailed information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Consumers can find disaster information, read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, and download brochures.

Do the work, save more money

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Leon insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of information how to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as .