Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other Iowa consumers.
Numerous insurers battle for your insurance dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the best coverage at the lowest price
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Finding the best rates in Indianola is quite easy. Although Iowa car owners can benefit by having an understanding of the methods companies use to sell online and apply this information to your search.
Factors that affect insurance rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
- Performance influences rates – The type of car you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The lowest rates are usually for economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Iowa give better rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Car insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- How credit affects auto insurance rates – Credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with poor credit.
- Teen drivers pay high rates – Mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teenage drivers are known to be more careless in a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Save big with these discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known auto insurance savings.
- Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Indianola, follow this link.
Auto insurance ads bend the truth
Auto insurance companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you move your coverage to them. But how can every company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer could be over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who do not match the requirements will be quoted higher prices which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
But I don’t know anything about car insurance
When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might help in determining if your situation will benefit from professional help.
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Even more information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.
Quote more, save more
Cost effective auto insurance is possible on the web in addition to many Indianola insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.
We just covered some good ideas how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company. They may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.