Nobody I know cherishes buying car insurance, especially when their premiums are too high. Because you have many car insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to pick the best provider.
It is always a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates before your policy renews because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you had the lowest rates a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the easiest way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
Buying car insurance in Edina is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can use these techniques to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Minnesota drivers just need to learn the tricks to find the lowest price online.
How to Compare Edina Car Insurance Costs
All major car insurance companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm quote coverage price quotes on their websites. Getting quotes is fairly straightforward as you simply type in the coverages you want as requested by the quote form. When complete, the system will order your credit score and driving record and generates pricing information determined by many factors. Quoting online helps simplify price comparisons, but the process of having to visit multiple sites and complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it’s absolutely necessary to compare as many rates as possible in order to find the lowest price.
The easy way to compare rates
A more efficient way to compare rates uses one form to obtain quotes from many companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online a little more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it gets priced with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the resulting price quotes. If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, click here to open in a new tab and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you copy the coverages identical to your current policy. This guarantees you will be getting comparison quotes based on identical coverages.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount very well, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for switching policies before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
- Driver Safety – Successfully completing a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
- College Student – Kids in college who live away from home and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in Minnesota, click this link.
But I don’t know anything about car insurance
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Edina?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Buying car insurance from a local agent
Some people prefer to buy from a licensed agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is sent to participating agents in Edina who will compete for your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide.
Deciding on an insurer shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
The difference between Edina auto insurance agents
When researching a good Edina insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies to choose from. Agencies in Edina are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). While both can write coverage properly, but it’s worth learning the differences since it can impact your agent selection.
Agency Captives
This type of agents have only one company to place business with such as Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Shown below are Edina captive agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 6550 York Ave S # 602 – Edina, MN 55435 – (952) 925-3226
Farmers Insurance Group – 7200 France Ave S # 238 – Edina, MN 55435 – (952) 947-9444
State Farm Insurance – 7801 E Bush Lake Rd # 200 – Edina, MN 55439 – (952) 937-2020
American Family Insurance – 5100 Eden Ave # 300 – Edina, MN 55436 – (952) 935-1222
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, you should always contact at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.
The following are independent insurance agents in Edina willing to provide rate quotes.
Edina Agency Inc – 7801 E Bush Lake Rd # 450 – Edina, MN 55439 – (763) 536-8006
Michael Girsch Agency – 7101 York Ave S # 140 – Edina, MN 55435 – (952) 921-3272
Miller Insurance – 4480 Parklawn Ave # 105 – Edina, MN 55435 – (763) 441-4499
David E Story Insurance Inc – 4445 W 77th St # 121 – Edina, MN 55435 – (952) 842-9007
David Turner Agency – 4445 W 77th St # 121 – Edina, MN 55435 – (952) 831-1121
For a full directory of insurance agents in Edina, please click here.
Once you have received positive feedback to your questions and a good coverage price, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles. But remember, consumers can cancel a policy for any reason so never feel you are locked into any particular company with no way to switch.
Coverage specifics
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as falling objects, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield, hail damage and fire damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical costs insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for prosthetic devices, chiropractic care, ambulance fees and pain medications. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
UM/UIM Coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (Minnesota limits are 30/60/10), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.
Liability – Liability coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as structural damage, medical expenses, court costs, loss of income and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Minnesota state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/10,000 but drivers should carry higher limits.
A tidy conclusion
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price.
We’ve covered a lot of techniques to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from the least-expected company. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
For more Minnesota car insurance information
Even more information is available at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, find a variety of consumer forms, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view a list of available companies.
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