Confused by the sheer number of car insurance companies in Woodbury? You’re not alone. Consumers have so many options available that it can quickly become a challenge to find the best price.
You should make it a habit to get comparison quotes once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates go up and down regularly. If you had the best deal six months ago you may be paying too much now. Starting now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to show you how to use online quotes to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Locating affordable car insurance in Woodbury is simple if you know the tricks. But Minnesota vehicle owners need to have an understanding of the way insurance companies market on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
Vehicle Insurance Comparison
Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you don’t utilize the easiest way. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Woodbury, or you could use the internet to achieve your goal.
Most of the larger companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers complete one form, and each participating company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote requests for each company you want a rate for. To compare rates now click here to start a free quote.
The single downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify the insurers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Minnesota. Click to view list.
Whichever method you choose, make sure you use the exact same coverages on every quote you get. If you compare differing limits then you won’t be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Woodbury. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. Just keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Car insurance providers like State Farm, Geico and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all say the same thing that you can save if you move to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who don’t meet the requirements will have to pay a higher premium which leads to business not being written. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to compare as many rates as you can. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Don’t miss these nine discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings.
- Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up to age 25.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags can get savings of 20% or more.
- Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.
- Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
- Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Save over 55 – Older drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- No Charge for an Accident – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.
To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Minnesota, click here to view.
When might I need help?
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different.
For instance, these questions might help in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
- When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
More detailed Minnesota car insurance information can be found at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Minnesota consumers can learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
What car insurance coverages do you need?
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Auto collision coverage
Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like a broken windshield, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hail damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Liability insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for claims like structural damage, pain and suffering, court costs, loss of income and medical services. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Minnesota state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/10,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 30/60/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Medical expense insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses such as X-ray expenses, funeral costs, doctor visits, rehabilitation expenses and pain medications. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.
Insureds change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, high prices, poor customer service or denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company can be less work than you think.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate.