Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance company choices in Blackfoot? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become a ton of work to find better rates.
Lower rates by qualifying for these nine discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before being credited.
- Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education in high school.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for signing up before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your overall premium however.
Specifics of your auto insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
UM/UIM Coverage
This protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Idaho drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (20/50/15 in Idaho), their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as rock chips in glass, damage from getting keyed, hitting a deer, a broken windshield and fire damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Medical costs insurance
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses like pain medications, nursing services, EMT expenses and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Auto liability insurance
This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 which means a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage protects against claims like medical services, structural damage, emergency aid and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Idaho requires drivers to carry at least 20,000/50,000/15,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
For more Idaho car insurance information
More information is available on the Idaho Department of Insurance website found here. Consumers can view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.
Summing up your auto insurance search
Cheap auto insurance is possible on the web and with local Blackfoot insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.
Consumers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and even not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is not as hard as you think.