Are you regretting buying an overpriced auto insurance policy? It’s quite common and you’re not the only one. Popular companies such as Geico, 21st Century and Progressive all promote huge savings with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to avoid their marketing magic and find the best price available.
If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can learn to cut your premiums while maximizing coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Crosby is not that difficult. North Dakota vehicle owners just need to know how to shop over the internet.
Lower your auto insurance rates with discounts
Some providers don’t always advertise every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits available to bring down your rates.
- Student in College – who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Data Collection Discounts – Policyholders that allow their insurance company to look at vehicle usage remotely such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system may get a rate reduction if they show good driving skills.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company they may give you a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper since newer vehicles are generally safer.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
For a list of auto insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in North Dakota, click here to view.
Finding a lower price on insurance can be surprisingly simple. The only requirement is to take a few minutes comparing rates from some recommended companies. This can easily be done in a couple of different ways.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-47.jpg" alt="Crosby car insurance prices” />
The fastest and easiest way to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do a different quote for every company. One quote request will get you rate comparisons from several companies.
A less efficient way to analyze rates is to manually visit the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s assume you want to see prices from Liberty Mutual, Safeco and GMAC. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which can get rather old. To view a list of companies in Crosby, click here.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just be sure you’re using equivalent quote data for every quote you compare. If you have mixed coverages it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Crosby.
You have control over your auto insurance prices
Many things are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, but others are less obvious such as whether you are married and annual miles driven. The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at the different types of things that are used to determine your policy premiums. If you understand what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.
- Tickets inflate prices – How you drive influences premium rates substantially. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Just one moving violation may cause rates to rise substantially. Drivers with serious violations like DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may find that they have to to file a SR-22 with their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Liability limits should be high – The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to comp and collision, so do not skimp.
- Lower prices with alarm systems – Owning a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Systems that thwart theives such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems help track and prevent your car from being stolen.
- Uninterrupted coverage saves money – Going without insurance can be a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage can result in a license revocation or jail time. You could then be forced to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the North Dakota DMV.
- Higher rates for demanding occupations – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as military generals, business owners and miners tend to pay the highest average rates due to intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Other professions such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.
- What are your physical damage deductibles? – Physical damage coverage, also called ‘full coverage’, protects your car from damage. Some coverage claims would be running into the backend of another car, flood damage, and burglary. The deductibles you choose state the amount of money you are willing to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. The more of the claim the insured is willing to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- Know your vehicle’s crash test rating – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and lower rates of occupant injuries translates into savings for insurance companies which can result in lower premiums. If your car or truck earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may cost less to insure.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you will benefit from professional help.
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Buy online or local, you save
More affordable auto insurance is attainable from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and these smaller providers prefer to sell through independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, an insured cut physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Additional North Dakota consumer information
Additional auto insurance information is located on the North Dakota Insurance Department website through this link. North Dakota consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find out industry alerts.