I can’t think of a single person who anticipates paying for car insurance, especially knowing the cost is too high. You have so many car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, having more auto insurance companies makes it harder to compare rates.
To find the best car insurance quotes, there are several ways to obtain and compare prices from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way to lower the rate you pay for insurance involves getting comparison quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in a couple of different ways.
- One of the simplest ways to find low rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing multiple quote forms for every company. Completing one form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies.
- A different way to compare prices consists of going to each individual company website and complete a new quote form. For instance, let’s assume you want to get rates from Progressive, Farmers and Travelers. You would be required to visit each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in Greendale, click here.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but double check that you are using the same quote information for each quote you get. If you are comparing unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Greendale. Slightly different limits may cause a big price difference. Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps improve the odds of finding lower pricing.
Car insurance ads bend the truth
Respected companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to make the point that you’ll save big just by switching your policy. How is it plausible that every one can make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
Car insurance companies provide the lowest rates for the right customer they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk may be a married male, has few claims, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Anybody who fits that profile receive the lowest rate quotes and will also save a lot of money.
Potential customers who do not meet this stringent profile will probably have to pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The wording the ads use say “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make those statements. This really drives home the point why you absolutely need to quotes as often as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will have the lowest rate quotes.
Car insurance rates and discounts
Some providers don’t necessarily list all disounts very well, so below is a list some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that may apply to you.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles optioned with advanced anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Good Student – Excelling in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Accident Waiver – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies may permit one accident without raising rates so long as you are claim-free before the accident.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy and insure them with the same company you may save up to 20% and get you .
- E-sign Discounts</strong – Some companies may give you up to $50 on your computer.
It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it’s just not the way it works. But all discounts will cut your overall bill.
A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include electronic funds transfer, teen driver, distant student, business and professional, and early shopping.
- Esurance offers discounts for Pac-12 alumni, renters, good driver, multi-car, anti-lock brakes, online shopper, and emergency road assistance.
- State Farm discounts include passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, student away at school, good driver, and anti-theft.
- Geico may include discounts for federal employee, five-year accident-free, air bags, emergency military deployment, and membership and employees.
- Allstate has savings for early signing, new car, anti-theft, resident student, defensive driver, multi-policy, and FullPay discount.
When comparing rates, check with each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be offered in Greendale. To see insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Wisconsin, click here to view.
Situations that may require an agent’s advice
When buying the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
- What are Wisconsin no-fault laws?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Wisconsin?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Wisconsin?
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Car insurance policy specifics
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find the usual coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for ambulance fees, pain medications, X-ray expenses and chiropractic care. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, damage from a tornado or hurricane and falling objects. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverage – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for liability – Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for claims like legal defense fees, loss of income, medical expenses, emergency aid and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Wisconsin requires drivers to carry at least 50,000/100,000/55,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.
UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Wisconsin drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (50/100/55 in Wisconsin), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Additional detailed information can be read at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and view a list of available companies.
One last thing about your coverage
When searching for , don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
You just read quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.