Beginners to comparing prices online are likely to find sourcing is very challenging.
The method we recommend to get rate comparisons utilizes the fact auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to provide you with free rate quotes. To get started, all you need to do is give them rating details including how much education you have, if your license is active, how many miles driven, and your occupation. That rating information is instantly submitted to all major companies and they respond with quotes almost instantly.
To start a rate quote now, click here and enter your coverage details.
Car insurance companies are expert advertisers
Popular car insurance providers such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the companies make the point about how much you will save if you get a free and switch your policy. How does every company give you a lower rate? It’s all in the numbers.
Companies have specific characteristics for the type of insured that will most likely be profitable. For instance, a profitable risk profile could possibly be a married male, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. Any customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates in Maquoketa and most likely will cut their rates if they switch.
Consumers who fall outside those criteria will probably have to pay higher premiums which leads to the customer not purchasing. The ads say “customers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s the way companies can make those claims.
Because of this risk profiling, you need to compare quotes as often as possible. It is impossible to predict which car insurance company will have the best prices.
Drivers save money with these five premium-slashing discounts
Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you may find discounts that can help lower your rates. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but some need to be requested specifically in order for you to get them.
- Professional Organizations – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in Maquoketa is a simple method to lower premiums on your bill.
- No Charge for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like Allstate, State Farm and Geico allow you one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- College Student – College-age children who live away from home to go to college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to sucessfully take a drivers education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
One thing to note about discounts is that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Popular car insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be read below.
- The Hartford offers discounts including vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, good student, bundle, defensive driver, and driver training.
- American Family has discounts for good student, Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, multi-vehicle, and good driver.
- Progressive may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-policy, good student, and online quote discount.
- Travelers may include discounts for save driver, payment discounts, driver training, new car, student away at school, IntelliDrive, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for distant student, multi-car, early shopping, pay in full, teen driver, and youthful driver.
- USAA discounts include family discount, safe driver, new vehicle, military installation, driver training, defensive driver, and annual mileage.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts for preferred payment discount, hybrid vehicle, newly married, new move discount, and good student.
Before buying, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Discounts might not apply in Maquoketa.
More information is located on the Iowa Insurance Division website found here. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, download brochures, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
Other useful links include this page for car insurance in Iowa and this list of insurance agents in Maquoketa.
Information about specific coverages
Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (20/40/15), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Normally these limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Coverage for collisions
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail and colliding with a tree. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses such as prosthetic devices, nursing services and surgery. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Liability coverages
Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to other people or property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, bail bonds and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Iowa requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/15,000 but you should consider buying higher limits.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Persistence pays off
We just showed you some good ideas how to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company.
While you’re price shopping online, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, being labeled a high risk driver, questionable increases in premium and even policy non-renewal. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.