Shopping online for Dubuque auto insurance is challenging if you have never used quoting online. But don’t be discouraged because we’re going to show you how.
You should make it a habit to compare prices once or twice a year because rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you found the best price last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the best way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
How much can you save with discounts?
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can get savings up to 30%.
- Military Rewards – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in high school.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.
Many Things Influence your Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Teen drivers pay high rates – Young drivers in Iowa tend to get distracted easily when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a teen driver to your auto insurance policy can break the bank. More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
- Tickets mean higher rates – A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. If you have flagrant violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
- Little extras can really add up – There are a lot of additional coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and term life insurance may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a guaranteed way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Iowa motor vehicle department.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Auto insurance providers like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims?
Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s the way companies can state the savings.
Because of the profiling, you need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
To find out more about Iowa auto insurance
Much more information about auto insurance in Iowa is available on the Iowa Insurance Division website found here. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, download brochures, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about specific coverages.
Other informative sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.
Final thoughts
As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
We covered a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.
Drivers leave their current company for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in responding to claim requests or not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.