Paying for high-priced car insurance can drain your personal savings, especially in this economy. Comparing price quotes is a great way to lower your monthly bill.
Big-name insurance companies like State Farm and Geico all claim big savings, bombarding you with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the promise of big savings and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to save some money using these methods. Finding the best rates in Hazen is not rocket science. Although North Dakota vehicle owners do need to know the way companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.
Verify you’re getting all your discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can save 20 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 company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks with the same company qualifies for this discount.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.
What happened to insurance agents?
Some people would rather get advice from a local agent. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find better rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance data gets sent to companies in Hazen who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. It’s the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Selecting an provider requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- How are claims handled?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Hazen auto insurance agents are either independent or captive
When finding a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agents are either captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Agents
Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company such as Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which can be an advantage.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.
When shopping rates, we recommend you include several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
The following is a list of independent agencies in Hazen willing to provide comparison quotes.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-86.jpg" alt="Hazen car insurance prices“/>
Union Insurance – 222 7th St NW – Hazen, ND 58545 – (701) 748-2999
Northland Insurance – 409 Central Ave – Hazen, ND 58545 – (701) 748-5557
For a full directory of Hazen insurance agents, please view this page.
Upon getting good answers to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that is a good match to service your policy. Just keep in mind consumers can cancel your coverage at any point so never assume you are locked into the car insurance policy for any length of time.
Ads can be misleading
Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all make the same claim that you can save if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who do not match the “perfect” profile will be charged more money which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. That is how companies can state the savings. That is why you should compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Even more information is available at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, and report car insurance fraud.
Parts of your car insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Liability auto insurance – Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things such as structural damage, medical services and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. North Dakota requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like prosthetic devices, X-ray expenses, dental work and pain medications. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many North Dakota drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree, sustaining damage from a pot hole and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like rock chips in glass, fire damage, damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and a broken windshield. The most your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
We’ve covered some good ideas how you can reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a small local company. They may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
Lower-priced car insurance can be bought online and also from your neighborhood Hazen agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.