Finding cheap White Bear Lake auto insurance over the internet can seem to be impossible for people who are new to buying insurance online. With a ridiculous number of online companies, how can you effectively compare every one to find the lowest price?
Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in White Bear Lake, Minnesota
All the larger auto insurance companies allow you to get coverage price quotes online. This process doesn’t take a lot of time as you simply type in the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company’s rating system collects information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information.
This simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to find the lowest price.
Compare rates the easy way
A more efficient way to find lower prices requires only one form to obtain quotes from multiple companies. It saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes rate comparisons much more enjoyable. After sending the form, it is quoted with multiple companies and you can pick your choice of the resulting price quotes.
If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. The entire process takes just a few minutes to complete and could lower your rates considerably.
To save time and find out how much you’re overpaying now, click here to open in a new tab and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you copy the limits and deductibles identical to your current policy. This ensures you are getting rate quotes based on identical coverages.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Consumers in Minnesota constantly see and hear ads that promise big savings from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch your coverage to them.
How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk could be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently state the savings.
Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your premiums.
For a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in White Bear Lake, click this link.
When might I need an agent?
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different.
These are some specific questions can help discover whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- What are the best liability limits?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Car insurance coverage information
Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Auto collision coverage
Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers claims such as rolling your car, colliding with a tree, damaging your car on a curb, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability
This coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as medical expenses, medical services, bail bonds and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Minnesota state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as fire damage, hail damage, vandalism and falling objects. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical expense insurance
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Minnesota limits are 30/60/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Normally the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Additional auto insurance information is located on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website located here. Minnesota consumers can file complaints about a company, learn about specific coverages, and read industry bulletins.
Quote often and quote early
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as high rates after DUI convictions, lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund or delays in paying claims. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.
Lower-priced auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many White Bear Lake insurance agents, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.