No one in their right mind loves paying for auto insurance, especially when they know they could find better rates elsewhere. Because there are so many choices, it can be hard to choose a more affordable insurance company.
You should make it a habit to do rate comparisons once or twice a year because prices change regularly. Just because you had the best rates a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the fastest and easiest way to find lower rates on auto insurance.
Performing a rate comparison can take time and effort if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste hours driving to insurance companies in Wall, or you could use the internet to get prices fast.
Many of the larger companies participate in an industry program where insurance shoppers submit their information once, and every company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.
To access this free quoting program, click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to comparing rates this way is you cannot specify the companies you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select from a list of companies to compare, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in South Dakota. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but make sure you compare the exact same quote information for every company. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to find the best deal in Wall.
Don’t overlook these auto insurance discounts
Some insurance providers don’t always publicize the complete list of policy discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious auto insurance savings.
- Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive better auto insurance rates.
- Student Discounts – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may earn over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
- Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few insurance companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current coverage expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Life Insurance Discount – Not all auto insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a lower auto insurance rate if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Insuring primary and secondary vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
Remember that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
The best auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- State Farm has savings for accident-free, safe vehicle, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, and defensive driving training.
- Esurance has discounts for Switch & Save, online shopper, homeowner, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, online signing, good student, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including multi-policy, new vehicle discount, newly married, new graduate, and good student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for group or association, multiple vehicles, air bags, company car, multi-policy, student away at school, and mature driver.
- Geico discounts include five-year accident-free, military active duty, multi-vehicle, good student, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, and emergency military deployment.
When comparing rates, check with each company or agent which discounts can lower your rates. Discounts might not apply in Wall. If you would like to choose from a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Wall, follow this link.
Why your rate might be higher
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but other criteria are not as apparent such as your marital status and annual miles driven. When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand some of the factors that play a part in calculating your premiums. If you know what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that may reward you with lower premium levels.
- Bad driving means higher prices – Having a clean driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one citation can increase the cost of insurance to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers unfortunate enough to have serious citations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Safer vehicles lower premiums – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and cheaper rates on your policy. If your car earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it is probably cheaper to insure.
- High auto insurance claims frequency drives up prices – Companies in South Dakota award discounts to drivers that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – Most major auto insurance companies will give discounts to insureds that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to shop around to help ensure you have the lowest rates. It’s possible to still save money even if you insure with multiple companies
- Little extras can really add up – Insurance policies have a lot of optional add-on coverages that can waste your money on your policy. Add-on coverages like rental car reimbursement, accidental death, and additional equipment coverage are probably not needed. You may think they are a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
- Impacts performance impacts auto insurance costs – The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. Smaller low performance passenger models receive the most favorable rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Lower rates by increasing coverage deductibles – Coverage for physical damage, aka comp and collision, covers your vehicle from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are a broken windshield, hail damage, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles represent how much money the insured will be required to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Much more information about auto insurance in South Dakota can be found on the . Click here for link. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and download brochures.
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Misconceptions in auto insurance advertisements
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for cheaper auto insurance by companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to try to convey promises that drivers will save a bundle just by switching to their company.
How does every auto insurance company give you a better price? It’s all in how they say it.
Many companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. A good example of this type of risk profile may need to be between 25 and 40, owns a home, and chooses high deductibles. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will get a cheap rate quote and have a good chance to save money with a new company.
People who do not fit the ideal profile may be required to pay higher prices which translates to the customer buying from a different company. If you listen closely, the ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much when switching. This is how insurance companies can confidently make those claims.
This really drives home the point why you really need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the best premium rates.
Smart shoppers get results
Lower-priced auto insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents in Wall, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies.
When searching for , never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
We just showed you some good ideas how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding . Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.