Paying for high-priced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparing price quotes is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to tighten up your finances.
Drivers have multiple auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, having more insurers makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Preston is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using this information. But Idaho consumers do need to understand how big insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
Preston Car Insurance Prices Online
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. The easiest way to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.
- The single most time-saving way to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for every car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes direct from many companies.
- A less efficient way to shop for car insurance online is to manually visit each company website and request a quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from USAA, State Farm and American Family. You would have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in Preston, click here.
It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage information with every price quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Preston. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. It’s important to know that getting more free quotes gives you a better chance of getting the best price.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Companies do not advertise every available discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find car insurance savings.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
- Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Preston can save you money because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-84.jpg" alt="Idaho car insurance“/>
There’s no such thing as the perfect policy
When choosing coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- More people means more accidents – Residing in a small town has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. City drivers regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Higher commute times means more change of being in an accident.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Many companies provide better rates to policyholders who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Do men or women drive better? – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be colliding with a building, vandalism, and burglary. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Save $441 a year? Really?
Companies like Allstate and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you move to them. How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently state the savings. That is why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
And the best car insurance company is…
When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a small mutual company. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Affordable car insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Preston insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
For more Idaho car insurance information
More detailed Idaho car insurance information is located at the Idaho Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, report car insurance fraud, and download brochures.