Are you a victim of an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, you’re not the only one. You have so many insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, having more insurance companies makes it harder to find the best rates.
It is always a good idea to compare prices on a regular basis because prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the best rates a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out one of the best ways to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
These discounts can slash car insurance rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of up to 25% or more.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Driver’s Ed – Have your child complete a driver education course in school.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
- Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy over the internet.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.
Free Quotes for Car Insurance in Broken Bow, Nebraska
Lowering your car insurance rates is a fairly straight forward process. All you need to do is spend a few minutes on the computer getting comparison quotes from different insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.
Probably the best way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company. A single, simple form will get you rate comparisons from several companies.
A harder way to compare prices is to manually visit each company’s website to complete a price quote. For example, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Allstate, Progressive and Travelers. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a list of links to insurance companies in Broken Bow, click here.
The hardest way to get comparison rates is driving around to and from local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can price shop online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just ensure you’re using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If you use different deductibles it will be very difficult to truly determine the lowest rate in Broken Bow.
Educated Consumers Know How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Having a bad credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Most insurers will award you with lower prices to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
- Traffic violations increase rates – Only having one citation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Add-on coverages can add up – There are quite a few add-on coverages that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
- Where you reside plays a part – Choosing to live in less populated areas is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. Urban drivers regularly have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Do I just need basic coverages?
When buying adequate coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Nebraska?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- Does my vehicle need full coverage?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Buying car insurance locally
A small number of people prefer to sit down with an agent. Licensed agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance data is emailed to local insurance agents who will give you bids to get your business. You won’t need to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!
Deciding on an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Different types of Broken Bow insurance agencies
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents to choose from. Broken Bow agents are categorized either independent or captive. Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s worth mentioning the difference between them because it can influence your selection of an agent.
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents write business for a single company such as State Farm or Allstate. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Shown below are captive agents in Broken Bow who can help you get price quote information.
American Family Insurance – 822 S E St – Broken Bow, NE 68822 – (308) 872-5252
Shelter Insurance – 542 S 10th Ave – Broken Bow, NE 68822 – (308) 872-5105
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, it’s recommended you get quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agents in Broken Bow who can help you get rate quotes.
Grange Mutual Insurance Co – 420 S 8th Ave – Broken Bow, NE 68822 – (308) 872-5010
Universal Insurance – 728 S C St – Broken Bow, NE 68822 – (308) 872-6438
Bow Agency – 430 S 8th Ave – Broken Bow, NE 68822 – (308) 872-3076
To view a full list of insurance agents in Broken Bow, visit this link.
After getting acceptable answers to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that will service your policy.
Are car insurance companies telling the truth?
Consumers in Nebraska can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings from companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim of big savings if you change your policy.
How can each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk could be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
In Summary
Affordable car insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Broken Bow, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
When you buy insurance online, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.
Additional Nebraska car insurance resources
More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Nebraska Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Also read more on Auto Insurance 101 and this page for help finding agents in Broken Bow, NE.