Have you had enough of not being able to afford to buy car insurance? You are no different than many other drivers in South Dakota.
Many insurers compete for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every provider and get the best coverage at the lowest cost out there.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Finding affordable coverage in Volga is easy if you know what you’re doing. Although South Dakota drivers must know the way insurance companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.
Buy Cheaper Auto Insurance with These Tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Extra coverages can waste money – There are many additional coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.
- An active claims history can cost you – Auto insurance companies in South Dakota provide lower rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is designed for larger claims.
- A clean driving record saves money – Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
- Performance level impacts rates – The performance of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your rates. The lowest base rates are for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates.
- Liability coverage is peace of mind – The liability section of your policy will protect you if a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Comprehensive Auto Insurance Comparison in Volga, SD
Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be exhausting if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You could waste a few hours talking to agents in Volga, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Most major companies participate in an industry program where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and every company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for each company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is buyers cannot specifically choose which providers to get pricing from. If you would rather choose individual companies to receive pricing from, we have assembled a list of low cost auto insurance companies in South Dakota. Click to view list.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples quote information on every quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to truly determine the lowest rate in Volga. Just a small difference in coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, having more price comparisons will improve the odds of getting a better price.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Auto insurance providers like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. They all make the same claim of big savings if you change your coverage to them. How can each company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.
All companies can use profiling for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Drivers who don’t meet these standards will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
These discounts can slash auto insurance rates
Companies do not advertise every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance.
- Student in College – Children who live away from home and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings of more than 20%.
- Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in South Dakota, follow this link.
Your insurance agent down the street
A small number of people just want to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that you can obtain better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to agents in your area who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. How cool is that?! Get lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Selecting an insurer should depend on more than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- How are claims handled?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Two different types of auto insurance agents
When looking for a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Volga agents are categorized either captive or independent.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, it’s recommended you get quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
The following are Volga independent insurance agencies that are able to give comparison quotes.
Ag States Agency – 112 Marvin Ave – Volga, SD 57071 – (605) 627-5534
Swenning Insurance – 240 E 8th St – Volga, SD 57071 – (605) 627-5387
Lathrop Insurance – 101 Caspian Ave – Volga, SD 57071 – (605) 627-5261
For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Volga, please go to this site.
Upon receiving positive feedback to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that is a good match to provide auto insurance coverage.
Additional detailed information is available at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, and learn about insurance regulations.
Compare but don’t skimp
Cheaper auto insurance is possible on the web and with local Volga insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.