Are you overwhelmed by the number of car insurance sources that you can choose from? You’re not alone. You have such a vast assortment of sources available that it can be a real difficult job to locate the lowest prices. Everyone knows Menomonie is an awesome place to live, but the high premiums for car insurance can make it impossible to afford good insurance coverage.
It’s smart to do rate comparisons on a regular basis because rates change quite often. Just because you had the lowest rate on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because I’m going to teach you how to use the internet to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is actually quite simple. Drivers just need to invest a few minutes to compare rate quotes to see which company has . It is quite easy and can be accomplished by using one of the methods below.
- The first (and easiest) way to find low rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing separate forms for each company. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
- A less efficient way to find lower rates consists of going to each company’s website and request a quote. For example, let’s assume you want to view quotes from Allstate, Safeco and Farmers. You would be required to spend time on each company’s site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which explains why we recommend starting with the first method. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Menomonie, click here.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just be certain you are entering exactly the same coverages for each price quote. If the quotes have different data you can’t possibly make a fair comparison in Menomonie.
Big names are not always cheapest
Consumers can’t escape the ads that claim the cheapest prices by companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim about saving some big amount if you just switch your car insurance coverage to their company.
That’s great but how can every company charge less that you’re paying now? This is how they do it.
Different companies require specific criteria for the type of driver that will not have excessive claims. One example of a desirable risk could be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns their home, and insures a new vehicle. A propective insured who matches that profile will most likely get cheap rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who fall outside those standards may be forced to pay higher premium rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “people that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That’s the way companies can make claims like that.
That is why you really need to do a quote comparison often. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will have the best auto insurance rates at this point in time.
How to lower your car insurance premiums
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine the rates you pay for car insurance. If you know what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that may reward you with cheaper rates. Many things are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious such as your driving record, but other criteria are less obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.
The factors shown below are some of the things used by insurance companies to determine your rate level.
- Is your car built for speed? – The performance level of the car, truck or SUV you need to insure makes a big difference in your rates. Smaller low performance passenger models usually are quite affordable to insure, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Cars with good safety ratings save money – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles engineered for safety reduce injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates directly to fewer claims which can result in lower premiums.
- Where you call home factors in – Residing in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. Fewer drivers and short commutes means a lower chance of having an accident in addition to lower liability claims Drivers who live in large Wisconsin cities tend to have more traffic problems and higher rates of accident claims. More time behind the wheel translates into higher accident risk.
- Pay lower prices after the wedding – Your spouse can actually save you money compared to being single. It generally demonstrates drivers are less irresponsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
- Is auto insurance cheaper for women or men? – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. Men and women cause auto accidents at about the same rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men receive more major tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
- Can a thief steal your car? – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Systems that thwart theives like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft and help bring rates down.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – Insurance policies have a lot of add-on coverages that can add up when buying car insurance. Coverage for things like rental car coverage, towing coverage, and extra equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
Take policy discounts and save
Some providers don’t necessarily list all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as some of the hidden discounts you could be receiving when you .
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them participate in a local driver’s education class in school.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices have a lower chance of being stolen and will qualify for a discount on a .
- New Car Discount – Buying insurance on a new vehicle may earn a small discount because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are much safer to drive so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Membership in Organizations – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Menomonie could qualify you for a break on your bill.
- Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of up to 25% or more.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts can save a little on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
One thing to note about discounts is that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
Companies that may offer quotes with some of the above discounts include:
- Geico
- Mercury Insurance
- Farmers Insurance
- Auto-Owners Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- SAFECO
- Progressive
- USAA
When quoting, ask each company which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in Menomonie. To find insurers with the best discounts in Wisconsin, click here.
More quotes mean more savings
Insureds change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, delays in paying claims, high rates after DUI convictions or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company can be pretty painless.
When shopping online for car insurance, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
Discount car insurance can be found on the web and with local Menomonie insurance agents, so you need to with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not provide online quoting and these smaller providers provide coverage only through independent insurance agencies.
Consumer car insurance information in Wisconsin
Additional car insurance information is located on the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance through this link. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and download brochures.
Other informative sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this list of insurance agents in Menomonie.