How to Know You’re Wasting Money for Car Insurance in Wagner, SD

Overwhelmed by the crazy number of car insurance company choices in Wagner? You’re not alone. Drivers have so many options that it can quickly become a real challenge to find the perfect company for you.

Locating the best car insurance coverage in Wagner is quite easy. If you are insured now or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find better prices and still get good coverage. South Dakota drivers only need to know how to compare price quotes online.

Cut your premium with discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be specially asked for before they will apply. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • E-sign – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Life Insurance Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
  • Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Own a Home – Owning a house in Wagner may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
  • Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your premiums.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Low deductibles can be expensive – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and burglary. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your car insurance will be.
  • Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers tend to get distracted easily behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates – Drivers with clean records get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with dangerous tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Marriage brings a discount – Being married can actually save you money on your car insurance policy. Marriage translates into being more mature than a single person and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Males pay more for insurance – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Liability coverage is cheap – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles every year the higher your rates will be. Most companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage.

What about using a local agent?

A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. Professional agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is definitely important in Wagner.

By using this quick form, your insurance data is immediately sent to agents in your area who will battle for your business. You don’t have to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!

Two types of Wagner auto insurance agents

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different types of agents that you can select. Agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning the differences since it can impact the type of agent you choose

Independent Agents

These agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.

When shopping rates, it’s recommended you contact several independent insurance agents for the best price selection. Many write coverage with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates.

Listed below is a list of independent insurance agents in Wagner that may be able to provide competitive price quotes.

  • Kaberna Insurance Inc – 29542 399th Ave – Wagner, SD 57380 – (605) 384-3740
  • Bures-Kronaizl Insurance – 101 S Main Ave – Wagner, SD 57380 – (605) 384-3893
Captive Agents

These agents can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captives receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently buy from captive agents mainly due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Shown below is a list of captive agencies in Wagner willing to provide comparison quotes.

  • American Family Insurance – 117 S Main Ave – Wagner, SD 57380 – (605) 384-5658

To view a full list of captive agents in Wagner, visit this link.

Picking an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

  • If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
  • If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
  • Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
  • If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
  • Which company do they place the most coverage with?

Once you have good answers to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that can insure your vehicles.

Learn more today

Additional information is located on the South Dakota Division of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and get help finding coverage.

Other informative sites include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this link where you can make Wagner car insurance comparisons.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Insureds leave their current company for a number of reasons such as high prices, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal and delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new car insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

You just read quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.