5 Top Ways to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Morning Sun

If you've never shopped for car insurance online, it's easy to be confused by the sheer number of car insurance companies competing for business in Morning Sun.

It's important to do rate comparisons periodically since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because we're going to show you the tricks you need to know to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Iowa car insurance quotes

Morning Sun Car Insurance Comparisons

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don't understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend your afternoon talking to local insurance agents in Morning Sun, or you could save time and use the internet to get prices fast.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each company then returns a price quote. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

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

The only drawback to comparing rates this way is you don't know exactly which providers you want to price. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Iowa. Click here to view list.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare identical quote information on every quote you get. If you compare mixed coverages it's not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Morning Sun. Slightly different coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that more quotes helps you find a better price.

Be sure to get all your discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.

  • Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Good Student - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
  • Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don't apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Iowa, click here.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That is how companies can truthfully state the savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to quote coverage with many companies. It's just too difficult to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a "best" method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you may require specific advice.

  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
  • Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you can't answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Additional information can be found on the Iowa Insurance Division website located here. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

Other informative sites include Wikipedia and this Morning Sun agent directory.

Iowa car insurance

Final considerations

As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford.

We just covered a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.

Cheap car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Morning Sun insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.