Overpriced car insurance can dwindle your personal savings and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.
Big-name insurance companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm all promote huge savings with ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the propoganda and find the best price available.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Rochester is not that difficult. Although Minnesota consumers need to have an understanding of how the larger insurance companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
How to Get Car Insurance in Rochester, Minnesota
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes and find the best price. By far the easiest way to find the lowest rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in several different ways.
The easiest and least time consuming way to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company. One quote request will get you price quotes from multiple companies.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online requires a visit to the website of each company to request a price quote. For instance, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Geico, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in Rochester, click here.
The hardest method to compare rates is to spend time driving to and from local Rochester insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a licensed agent. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web and get advice from an agent in your area and you’ll learn how to do that later.
Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples quote information for every quote you compare. If you enter different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Rochester. Slightly different coverages could mean much higher rates. Keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding the best offered rates.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Car insurance companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings after switching your coverage to them. How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A propective insured who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and most likely will save a lot of money.
Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile will be charged more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s the way insurance companies can claim big savings. That is why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Companies don’t always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings.
- Paperless Signup – Certain companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application online.
- Good Student – This discount can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home in Rochester can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
- Student in College – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.
Compare online but buy from a local Rochester agent
Certain consumers just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local.
Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information is sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your coverage. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates and work with a local agent.
Picking an provider shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- How long has their agency been open in Rochester?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Multiple types of insurance agencies in Rochester
When researching a reliable agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Rochester are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents are contracted to one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. These agents are well schooled on the products they sell which can be an advantage.
Shown below is a list of captive insurance agents in Rochester that are able to give price quotes.
American Family Insurance – 401 16th St SE – Rochester, MN 55904 – (507) 288-2939
State Farm Insurance – 4229 Highway 52 N – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 280-2100
Allstate Insurance – 1812 2nd St SW – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 288-3035
Farmers Insurance Group – 4170 18th Ave NW – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 288-6348
Farm Bureau Financial Svc – 1820 2nd St SW – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 288-0850
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.
When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Rochester willing to provide price quotes.
John Capelle Agency Inc – 314 Elton Hills Dr NW – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 281-1463
Action Insurance Brokers – 2001 2nd St SW – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 289-2327
Greenwood Agency – – Rochester, MN 55904 – (507) 285-1580
Curt Sorenson Agency – 1816 2nd St SW # A – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 281-0435
James Zwiener Insurance – – Rochester, MN 55904 – (507) 288-2360
To view a full list of Rochester insurance agents, visit this site.
After getting satisfactory answers to your questions and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.
Even more information is located at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Minnesota consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, get help finding coverage, and view agent and company licensing information.
Also read more on this Car Insurance FAQ and this resource to find Rochester, MN insurance agents.
Affordable insurance is out there
Cheaper car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local Rochester insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
We just covered some good ideas how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.
When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.