Shopping for the most affordable Eau Claire auto insurance over the internet can seem to be somewhat difficult for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. With such a large number of insurers available, how can you even start to compare every one to find the best available price?
Discounts are great for lower rates
Car insurance can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but some must be asked about prior to getting the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing online.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Eau Claire may earn you a small savings because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who are attending college without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Save with a New Car – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will reduce your premiums.
To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Eau Claire, follow this link.
How to Compare Eau Claire Auto Insurance Rates
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be exhausting if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend countless hours talking to insurance agencies in Eau Claire, or you can utilize online quotes to get the quickest rates.
Most major companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company returns a competitive quote based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests for each company you want a rate for. To compare pricing click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which providers to receive prices from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in Wisconsin. Click here for list of insurance companies in Wisconsin.
Whichever way you use, compare apples-to-apples coverage information on every quote you get. If you enter higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Eau Claire.
Save Money with These Tips
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.
- Where you live – Residing in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when buying auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
- Older drivers save more – Older insureds tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Teen drivers have a tendency to be more careless when behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- Pay less if you’re married – Being married can get you a discount on auto insurance. Having a significant other means you’re more responsible and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
- Clean credit earns discounts – Having a bad credit rating is a important factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with poor credit. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score.
- Liability coverage protects you – Liability coverage will protect you when you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- More claims means more premium – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in Wisconsin award cheaper rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Little extras can really add up – There are quite a few additional coverages you can purchase on your policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.
Car insurance is unique, just like you
When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
For example, these questions could help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- What discounts do I qualify for?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Wisconsin?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Compare online but buy from a local Eau Claire agent
Some consumers prefer to sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. Educated insurance agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find lower rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local insurance agencies is definitely important in Eau Claire.
After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents in Eau Claire who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. How cool is that?!
The difference between Eau Claire auto insurance agents
When researching a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Eau Claire are categorized either independent or captive. Both properly insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they differ since it can impact the type of agent you choose
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller companies which may provide better rates.
The following are independent insurance agencies in Eau Claire who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Jackson Agency Inc – 308 Eau Claire St – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 832-1674
- BMW Insurance – 505 S Dewey St # 106 – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 834-2024
- Federated Mutual Insurance Co – 3522 Hillview Rd – Eau Claire, WI 54703 – (715) 579-8162
- Nathan Norgaard Agency – 2440 London Rd – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 834-6286
- Daniel J Flynn Agency – 1903 Keith St # 2 – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 839-7346
Agency Captives
This type of agents work for only one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captives are trained well in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below is a short list of captive agents in Eau Claire that are able to give rate quotes.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 3321 Golf Rd – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 834-8123
- American Family Insurance – 1903 Keith St # 2 – Eau Claire, WI 54701 – (715) 834-5733
- State Farm Insurance – 139 N Clairemont Ave # A – Eau Claire, WI 54703 – (715) 833-8400
To view a complete directory of Eau Claire captive agents, go to this page.
Choosing an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- How are they compensated?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
After receiving acceptable answers for all questions you ask and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that will adequately provide auto insurance.
Can you really save $426 a year?
Consumers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make an identical promise about savings if you move to their company.
How does each company make the same claim?
All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. A driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will be charged higher premiums which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how insurance companies can state the savings.
That is why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
A little work can save a LOT of money
We just showed you many tips how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier.
Insureds switch companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, being labeled a high risk driver, delays in responding to claim requests or even poor customer service. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies can be pretty painless.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
Much more information about auto insurance in Wisconsin can be read on the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, and report car insurance fraud.