If price shopping auto insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the vast number of companies offering insurance in Crete.
It’s smart to compare rates once or twice a year because rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you found the best rates a couple years back you will most likely find a better rate today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance online but we’re going to give you some solid techniques on how to find cheap auto insurance.
Save Money with These Tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.
The following are some of the items used by your company to calculate prices.
- Type of vehicle determines base rates – The type of vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a big difference in your rates. Small economy passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Pleasure use saves money – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.
- Pay less if you’re married – Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it’s proven that married couples file fewer claims.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Most companies give discounts to customers who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
- Where you live can impact rates – Being located in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Lower population means reduced accidents. Drivers who live in large Nebraska cities regularly have more traffic problems and longer commute times. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are quite a few add-on coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- An active claims history can cost you – Car insurance companies in Nebraska provide cheaper rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is designed for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Crete, Nebraska
Most companies such as Allstate and Progressive quote prices for coverage on their websites. Obtaining pricing doesn’t take a lot of time as you simply enter your coverage information as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the system collects your credit score and driving record and generates a price determined by many factors.
Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit a lot of sites and enter the same data into a form can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step in order to get the lowest auto insurance rates.
An easier way to find lower prices makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from several companies at one time. This type of form saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online much more efficient. After sending the form, it is rated and you are able to buy any or none of the quotes returned.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and may result in a nice savings.
To get comparison pricing now, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with coverages and limits as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will get rate quotes for similar insurance coverage.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Companies like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the ads make the same claim that you can save if you switch to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can claim big savings.
This emphasizes why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Take advantage of discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you get the savings.
- Save with a New Car – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off your medical payments premium.
- Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.
- College Student – Children who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Paperless Signup – Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy online.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.
How to know if you need help
When choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if you might need professional guidance.
- Should I buy only the required Nebraska minimum liability coverage?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Nebraska?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Crete?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.
Additional auto insurance information can be found on the Nebraska Department of Insurance website found here. Nebraska drivers can view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, view agent and company licensing information, and report car insurance fraud.
Buy online or local, you save
Budget-conscious auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Crete agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
Drivers who switch companies do it for many reasons like being labeled a high risk driver, denial of a claim, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or policy non-renewal. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company can be pretty painless.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the least-expected company.