Pricey auto insurance can deplete your personal savings and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Many auto insurance companies vie for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer to find the lowest cost out there.
It’s a good habit to shop coverage around occasionally since insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you found the lowest rate last year you will most likely find a better premium rate today. Don’t believe everything you read about auto insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you some excellent ideas to quit paying high auto insurance rates.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Finding affordable coverage in Grinnell is not that difficult. But Iowa consumers must know how the larger insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
Don’t overlook these auto insurance discounts
Some insurers don’t necessarily list the entire discount list very well, so the list below details some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous credits available to you. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premium rates.
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a specific time period.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Save over 55 – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens can possibly qualify for better auto insurance rates.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for substantially lower auto insurancerates.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Require your teen driver to enroll and complete driver’s education if offered at their school.
Policy discounts save money, but most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are shown below.
- Farmers Insurance includes discounts for pay in full, bundle discounts, mature driver, electronic funds transfer, switch companies, and homeowner.
- State Farm has savings for good student, multiple autos, anti-theft, accident-free, student away at school, and good driver.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for multi-policy, new move discount, multi-car, good student, newly retired, and preferred payment discount.
- MetLife may offer discounts for claim-free, good student, multi-policy, good driver, accident-free, and defensive driver.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, online quote discount, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and good student.
If you want , ask all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply in Grinnell.
Free Grinnell auto insurance quotes
Performing a rate comparison can be a daunting task if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You could waste time discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Grinnell, or you can stay home and use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Many popular insurance companies enroll in a system where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and each company then returns a price quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is that you can’t choose which insurance companies to receive prices from. So if you want to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a page of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Iowa. Click here to view list.
The approach you take is up to you, just ensure you are comparing the exact same coverage data with every price quote. If the quotes have mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Grinnell. Just slight variations in insurance coverages or limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting better pricing.
Choices you make can reduce your prices
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find lower auto insurance prices.
The following are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.
- Costs and your address – Being located in a small town has it’s advantages when trying to find low car insurance rates. Drivers in populated areas regularly have congested traffic and much longer commute distances. Less people means less chance of accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.
- Commute or pleasure use – The higher the miles on your car every year the higher your rates will be. Many insurance companies charge rates based on their usage. Cars used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet states the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
- Liability protection is cheap – The liability section of your policy kicks in in the event that you are found liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your liability coverage provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- Don’t cancel your auto insurance policy without a new one in place – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a guaranteed way to increase your rates. Not only will you pay higher rates, getting caught without coverage might get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
- More stress means more cost – Occupations like doctors, social workers and accountants tend to pay higher average rates attributed to intense work situations and extremely grueling work hours. Other jobs like farmers, engineers and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
- High physical damage deductibles cost less – Insurance for physical damage to your car, aka comp and collision, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Some instances where coverage would apply are a dented fender, vandalism, and having your car stolen. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Excellent credit scores equal low costs – Having a good credit score can be a huge factor in determining your rates. So if your credit history is low, you may save money insuring your vehicle by taking the time to improve your credit score. Insureds with excellent credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with lower ratings.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions could help you determine if your situation may require specific advice.
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Captive versus independent insurance agents
Many people still prefer to go talk to an agent and that is just fine! An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain cheaper prices and still buy from a local agent.
Once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Grinnell who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to contact an agency since price quotes are sent directly to you. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates without requiring a lot of work. In the event you want to get a rate quote from a specific auto insurance provider, just go to their quote page to submit a rate quote request.
Finding the right company is decision based upon more than just the quoted price. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Grinnell?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
When searching for a reliable insurance agent, there are a couple of types of agencies to choose from. Grinnell agents can either be independent agents or captive agents depending on their employer.
Captive Agents
Agents that elect to be captive can usually just insure with one company like Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Captive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. These agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below are Grinnell captive agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.
American Family Insurance – 219 West St – Grinnell, IA 50112 – (641) 236-3311
State Farm Insurance – 211 West St – Grinnell, IA 50112 – (641) 236-4307
Farm Bureau Svc – 920 West St – Grinnell, IA 50112 – (641) 236-1492
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles through lots of different companies and find the cheapest rate. If premiums increase, they simply switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing auto insurance rates, you will want to get several quotes from a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Listed below are Grinnell independent insurance agencies who can help you get rate quotes.
Grinnell Insurance Inc – 1006 Main St – Grinnell, IA 50112 – (641) 236-4681
Richard Jacoby Insurance – 819 4th Ave – Grinnell, IA 50112 – (641) 236-1916
To view more licensed insurance agents in Grinnell, please visit this full listing of insurance agents in Grinnell.
Affordable auto insurance is out there
Some auto insurance companies may not provide internet price quotes and usually these smaller companies prefer to sell through local independent agencies. Affordable auto insurance is possible from both online companies and with local Grinnell insurance agents, so you need to compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to shop for auto insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company. Regional companies can often provide lower prices in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.
More detailed Iowa auto insurance information can be read at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Consumers can learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.
Also read more on BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this link where you can make Grinnell auto insurance comparisons.