Tightwads Guide for Saving on Lime Springs Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, many Lime Springs consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy. Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to compare rates every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best deal a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the only way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can learn to find better prices while maximizing coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Lime Springs is easy if you know what you're doing. Iowa vehicle owners just need to know the proper methods to shop their coverage around online.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies don't always publicize all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

Auto/Life Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings on auto insurance.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
No Accidents - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in high school.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Iowa drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim that you'll save big if you move to their company.

How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. A propective insured who matches those parameters will get very good rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who do not match the requirements will have to pay higher rates which leads to business not being written. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That's the way companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Learn more about Iowa auto insurance

More detailed Iowa auto insurance information is available at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Iowa drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.

In the end, you save

While you're price shopping online, it's a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

Discount auto insurance is definitely available on the web and also from your neighborhood Lime Springs agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.