Tightwads Guide for Saving on New Town Car Insurance
Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are lots of people in the same boat. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.
It's important to compare prices every six months because rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price two years ago a different company probably has better rates today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to find cheap car insurance.
If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can learn to find the best rates and still get good coverage. Finding the best rates in New Town is not that difficult. North Dakota consumers only need to know the proper methods to shop for car insurance on the web.
These discounts can lower your rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but a few must be specially asked for before being credited. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.
- Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Clubs and Organizations - Belonging to a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings on car insurance.
- Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Lower Rates for Military - Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Discount for Good Grades - Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
- Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- 55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.
How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.
- Pleasure use saves money - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Don't skimp on liability - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if ever you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Choose a safe vehicle and save - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Only having one moving violation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who have dangerous citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Men are more aggressive - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women are in accidents in similar numbers, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
- Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as judges, executives and dentists have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and long work hours. Other occupations such as actors, historians and retirees get better rates.
Are you falling for claims of savings?
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you change your coverage to them.
How can each company make the same claim?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.
Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay higher prices which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully state the savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers should compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Additional information is located on the website for the North Dakota Insurance Department located here. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.
A tidy conclusion
When buying insurance coverage, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.
The cheapest car insurance is attainable from both online companies as well as from independent agents in New Town, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.