Sick and tired of not being able to afford to pay your car insurance bill each month? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in Idaho.
Many insurance companies compete for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the definite lowest rate possible.
It’s important to compare rates periodically because prices go up and down regularly. If you had the best deal on your last policy you will most likely find a better rate today. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the quickest way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Cut your auto insurance rates with these ten discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings of 20% or more.
- Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
- College Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
- Senior Citizens – Older drivers may receive reduced rates.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.
To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Idaho, follow this link.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Idaho?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Some additional reading
Much more information about auto insurance in Idaho is located on the website for the Idaho Department of Insurance located here. Idaho drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, find out industry alerts, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and report car insurance fraud.
Learn about auto insurance coverages
Understanding the coverages of auto insurance helps when choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Liability – Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers things such as legal defense fees, medical services, emergency aid and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Idaho requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/50,000/15,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.
Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims like sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as hitting a deer, damage from getting keyed, vandalism and a broken windshield. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Idaho drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (Idaho limits are 20/50/15), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Normally these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like dental work, funeral costs and doctor visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
A tidy conclusion
You just learned many ideas to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like Progressive or Geico.
Cost effective auto insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Rigby, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.