Finding affordable Eau Claire auto insurance can seem to be hard for people who are new to comparison shopping online. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can be more work than you anticipated to locate the lowest price in Eau Claire.
Don’t pay full price with these discounts
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- College Student – Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
- Memberships – Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Wisconsin, click this link.
How to Get Auto Insurance in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Performing a rate comparison can take time and effort if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking about coverages with insurance companies in Eau Claire, or you could save time and use online quoting to quickly compare rates.
Most of the larger companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and every company then gives them pricing based on that data. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to start a free quote.
The single downside to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose which companies to receive prices from. If you wish to select individual companies for rate comparison, we have a page of low cost auto insurance companies in Wisconsin. Click here to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverages for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison in Eau Claire.
Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better auto insurance rates.
- Men pay higher rates – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Women and men cause accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance companies in Wisconsin provide better rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Car insurance is intended for larger claims.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Most auto insurance companies give discounts to policyholders who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
- Do you need the policy add-ons? – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can buy on your policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem good initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Where you live can impact rates – Living in small towns and rural areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Urban drivers regularly have traffic congestion and longer commute times. Higher commute times means more change of being in an accident.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more you drive in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your auto insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
One last thing about your coverage
When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped full coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cheaper auto insurance is possible from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Eau Claire, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
You just read many ideas to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company.
Additional auto insurance links
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Wisconsin consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find out industry alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.