Did you come to the realization that you have an expensive car insurance policy? You’re preaching to the choir because there are many people just like you. Numerous auto insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies and get the best coverage at the best rates possible.
It is always a good idea to shop coverage around before your policy renews since prices go up and down regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a few years ago a different company probably has better rate quotes today. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you some tested techniques to buy car insurance cheaper.
If you have car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Buying car insurance in New England is easy if you know what you’re doing. But North Dakota drivers must comprehend how big insurance companies price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.
There are a variety of methods to shop for car insurance, but some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste hours talking about coverages with insurance agencies in New England, or you can utilize the internet to get pricing more quickly.
Most major companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers enter their policy data once, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that data. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual car insurance company.
To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify the insurers you will receive quotes from. If you prefer to choose individual companies to compare, we have a page of low cost car insurance companies in North Dakota. Click to view list.
The approach you take is up to you, just try to keep nearly identical quote data for each quote you get. If you enter different limits and deductibles on each one it will be very difficult to make a fair comparison in New England. Just a small difference in coverage limits could mean much higher rates. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes increases the change that you will find the best offered rates.
Save $495 a year? Really?
Well-known car insurance companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all seem to advertise the message that people will save just by switching your coverage to them. How does every car insurance company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the words they use.
Companies offer their best rates for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable insured might be described as over the age of 40, has never had a claim, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot if they switch.
Drivers who do not meet this stringent profile will get higher prices and this results in the customer buying from a different company. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best prices. Because of this risk profiling, drivers should do a price quote comparison at every renewal. Because you never know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Choices you make can decrease your costs
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, but others are more transparent such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.
- Know your credit rating – An insured’s credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit history leaves room for improvement, you could be paying less to insure your vehicle by improving your rating. People that have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with worse credit.
- Are males or females drivers cheaper? – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean females are better at driving than males. Women and men cause fender benders at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Not only are claims higher, but men receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Teenage male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
- Lower performance equals lower insurance costs – The make and model of the car you need to insure makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. The lowest rates are generally reserved for lower cost passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Big cities mean more claims – Living in a rural area can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. City drivers regularly have more auto accidents and much longer commute distances. Less people translates into fewer accident claims.
- Stress out and pay more – Careers such as lawyersairline pilots and dentists are shown to have higher premiums than the average policyholder attributed to intense work situations and lots of time spent away from family. Other occupations like actors, athletes and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
- Teen drivers pay high prices – Teenage drivers in North Dakota have a tendency to get distracted easily when driving with friends so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents and receive fewer citations.
- Do you have enough liability coverage? – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Lower coverage deductibles cost more – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles define how much the insured will be required to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be a windshield broken by a bird, fire damage, and damage from wind. The larger the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive.
These discounts can lower your car insurance rates
Car insurance can be pricey, but you may be missing some discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but occassionally some discounts must be asked about prior to getting the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance companies give a lower car insurance rate if you buy a life policy as well.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new can cost up to 25% less because new model year vehicles are generally safer.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in New England can earn you a little savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to use a seat belt can save a little off the medical payments premium.
- Sign Early and Save – A few larger companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles may enable drivers to earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Good Grades Discount – This discount may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Student Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education in school or through a local driver safety program.
We need to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, that’s just not realistic.
Larger car insurance companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for mature driver, youthful driver, distant student, homeowner, bundle discounts, and switch companies.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts including good student, youthful driver, safe driver, renewal discount, and multi-policy.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for multiple policy, good driver, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and defensive driving training.
- Geico may include discounts for five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, emergency military deployment, military active duty, and membership and employees.
- SAFECO has discounts for anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, drive less, safe driver, multi-car, accident prevention training, and teen safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts for multi-car, hybrid vehicle, exclusive group savings, new move discount, safety features, and teen driver discount.
It’s a good idea to ask all the companies which discounts you may be entitled to. Some credits may not be offered in every state.
Different people need different car insurance coverages
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in North Dakota?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required North Dakota minimum liability coverage?
- Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Cheaper coverage is out there
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to compare car insurance auto insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the best auto insurance rates are with a small local company. Regional companies often have lower premium rates on specific markets than their larger competitors like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Budget-friendly car insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies don’t offer internet price quotes and these small insurance companies only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.
Find out more about car insurance
Additional detailed information is available at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. North Dakota consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read industry bulletins.