Sick and tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers. Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Geico and Allstate persitently shower you with ads and consumers find it hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.
Smart consumers take time to check auto insurance prices periodically because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best price six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the easiest way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.
If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these tips to find better prices while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Brookings is easy if you know what you’re doing. South Dakota consumers just need to know the tricks to compare company rates online.
Comparison of Auto Insurance in Brookings
Most companies give prices directly from their websites. Getting online quotes is quite easy as you just type in the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the system gets your driving and credit reports and quotes a price. Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it’s absolutely necessary to get many rate quotes if you want to find lower prices.
The easy way to compare rates
A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates uses one simple form to obtain quotes from several different companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online quotes much more efficient. After your information is entered, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the returned quotes. If the quotes result in lower rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. This process takes just a few minutes to complete and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To save time and get comparison pricing now, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you input the coverages identical to your current policy. This guarantees you will receive a price comparison for the exact same coverage.
Do drivers who switch really save?
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you’ll save big after switching your coverage to them.
How do they all make the same claim?
All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A driver who matches those parameters receives the best rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who do not match the “perfect” profile will be charged more money which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. That is why it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Discounts are basically free money
Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both the well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-6.jpg" alt="South Dakota car insurance quote”/>
- E-sign – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Own a Home – Owning a house in Brookings can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Which insurance is the “right” coverage?
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- What are the best liability limits?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Auto insurance 101
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer and fire damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Auto liability insurance
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability can pay for things such as loss of income, legal defense fees, medical expenses, funeral expenses and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. South Dakota state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
UM/UIM Coverage
This coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (South Dakota limits are 25/50/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Collision coverage
Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things like sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building, rolling your car and backing into a parked car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical costs insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for bills like ambulance fees, X-ray expenses and EMT expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Shop smart and save
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
We covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
Cost effective auto insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Brookings, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
More detailed South Dakota auto insurance information can be read at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota drivers can learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, and report car insurance fraud.