Shopping online for Grand Island auto insurance can seem like an uphill battle if you are a beginner to online quotes. But relax because using the internet to shop for auto insurance is actually quite easy.
These discounts can slash auto insurance rates
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but a few need to be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
- Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get better auto insurance rates.
- Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
- Sign Online – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared to frequent claim filers.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.
To choose providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Grand Island, click this link.
Finding Auto Insurance Deals in Grand Island
When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways to get quotes from local in Grand Islandauto insurance companies. By far the easiest way to compare insurance prices is simply to get online rate quotes. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
- One of the best ways to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This method keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes from several companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
- A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online requires a trip to each company website to request a price quote. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare Farmers, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Grand Island, click here.
- The hardest method to compare rates is driving to different Grand Island agent offices. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the professional guidance only provided by licensed Grand Island agents. You can, however, compare online quotes and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare identical deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to determine the lowest rate in Grand Island. Just a small difference in insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding the best price.
Save Money with These Tips
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. These vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
- Marriage brings a discount – Having a spouse actually saves money on auto insurance. Marriage translates into being more mature it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Occupation reflects on rates – Careers like judges, architects and accountants have higher rates than average due to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations such as scientists, athletes and retirees get better rates.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – The liability section of your policy provides coverage in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?
Some consumers just want to get advice from a local agent. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from small agencies is especially important in Grand Island.
After filling out this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to insurance agents in Grand Island who will return price quotes to get your business. You never need to leave your house since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. How cool is that?! You can find better rates and work with a local agent.
The difference between Grand Island insurance agents
When researching an insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be captive or independent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, we recommend you include at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.Most can insure with smaller regional carriers which can be an advantage.
Listed below are independent insurance agencies in Grand Island that are able to give price quote information.
- Connie Millner Agency – 2424 S Locust St # A – Grand Island, NE 68801 – (308) 389-3080
- CBS Insurance Assoc Inc – 2621 W Us Highway 30 – Grand Island, NE 68803 – (308) 381-1761
- Travis Skiles Agency – 2400 W 2nd St # 10 – Grand Island, NE 68803 – (308) 398-8006
- Ron Ziemba Agency Inc – 3231 Ramada Rd # 2 – Grand Island, NE 68801 – (308) 381-8984
- Mutual Of Omaha Insurance Co – 2121 N Webb Rd # 209 – Grand Island, NE 68803 – (308) 384-5090
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company such as Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents. Some people will only buy insurance from these agents partially due to high brand loyalty and strong financial ratings.
Below are Grand Island captive agencies willing to provide price quote information.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1302 W 4th St – Grand Island, NE 68801 – (308) 384-3751
- American Family Insurance – 418 N Eddy St – Grand Island, NE 68801 – (308) 381-2679
- State Farm Insurance – 819 N Diers Ave # 4 – Grand Island, NE 68803 – (308) 382-8032
- Allstate Insurance – 1811 W 2nd St # 111 – Grand Island, NE 68803 – (308) 382-4199
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 2424 S Locust St # D – Grand Island, NE 68801 – (308) 398-0134
For a full directory of captive agencies in Grand Island, go to this page.
Choosing an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Nebraska?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
After receiving acceptable answers to your questions and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that can properly service your auto insurance policy.
Can switching companies really save?
Companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save if you move your coverage to them. How can each company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who do not match the requirements must pay higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can advertise the way they do.
This illustrates why you need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high prices or even denial of a claim. Whatever your reason, finding a new company can be easier than you think.
Low-cost auto insurance is definitely available both online and with local Grand Island insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
Much more information about auto insurance in Nebraska can be found on the Nebraska Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, get help finding coverage, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other informative sites include this site for Nebraska auto insurance information and this page where you can also get Grand Island auto insurance quotes.