Comparing may seem to be difficult if you are like the majority of consumers and have never used online price quotes. But don’t give up because comparing rates is actually very simple.
It is always a good idea to compare premium rates before your next renewal because prices go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the lowest rate at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. You’ll find a ton of advice on car insurance on the web, but in a few minutes you can learn some solid techniques on how to quit paying high car insurance rates.
Find hidden discounts to get affordable Freeman car insurance quotes
Car insurance companies don’t list every disount available in an easy-to-find place, so the list below contains both well-publicized and the harder-to-find credits available to bring down your rates.
- No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less when compared with bad drivers.
- Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings as much as 30%.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a new car can save you some money since new vehicles are generally safer.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a class that teaches defensive driver techniques is a good idea and can lower rates and make you a better driver.
- E-sign – Some companies provide a small discount for buying your policy on the web.
- College Student Discount – Any of your kids living away from home attending college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could get you a discount.
A little disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the fact that it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, nobody gets a free ride. Any qualifying discounts will cut your policy cost.
A list of car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- State Farm includes discounts for multiple autos, good student, accident-free, multiple policy, passive restraint, and student away at school.
- Progressive may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, online signing, multi-policy, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including good student, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, and online signing.
- MetLife has discounts for good driver, good student, multi-policy, claim-free, defensive driver, and accident-free.
- Farm Bureau may include discounts for renewal discount, safe driver, 55 and retired, good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and driver training.
- Geico offers discounts including anti-theft, air bags, multi-policy, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, and good student.
- SAFECO offers discounts for anti-theft, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, multi-car, teen safety rewards, drive less, and teen safe driver.
Before purchasing a policy, check with all the companies to apply every possible discount. Some discounts might not be offered in your area. If you would like to view providers with significant discounts in Freeman, follow this link.
The fastest way that we advise to compare car insurance company rates is to know almost all companies provide online access to provide you with a free rate quote. The only thing you need to do is provide a little information like your general credit rating, if a SR-22 is needed, if you have an active license, and types of safety features. Those rating factors is instantly provided to all major companies and you will receive price estimates instantly.
To find the cheapest car insurance rates, click here and see if a lower rate is available.
Cut Your Costs with these tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that go into determining your policy premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings. Lots of factors are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious like an MVR report, although some other factors are not as apparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.
Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors used by insurance companies to determine premiums.
- Eliminate unneeded add-on coverages – Insurance policies have a lot of add-on coverages that may not really be needed on your car insurance policy. Coverages for rental car coverage, death and dismemberment, and membership fees are probably not needed. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
- Urban residents pay more – Having an address in less populated areas of the country has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have much more traffic and higher rates of accident claims. Lower population means less chance of accidents in addition to lower liability claims
- Which gender costs less? – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Men and women get in accidents at about the same rate, but guys have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also receive more costly citations like driving under the influence (DUI). Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore pay the highest rates.
- Premiums and occupation – Occupations such as doctorsairline pilots and emergency personnel have higher rates than the rest of us because of intense work situations and incredibly demanding work hours. Other professions such as actors, athletes and performers pay the least.
- The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles each year the higher your rates will be. A lot of companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that sit idle most of the time get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance coverage is showing how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Better drivers have lower costs – Having a clean driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Careful drivers pay lower auto insurance prices compared to drivers with tickets. Even one speeding ticket or other violation could increase your next policy renewal substantially. Drivers with severe violations like reckless driving or DUI may face state-mandated requirements to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- How old are your drivers? – Youthful drivers in South Dakota have been known to get distracted easily with other occupants in the car therefore car insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a first-time driver onto your car insurance can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Will you really save $476 on car insurance?
Companies like State Farm and Allstate consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies try to convey promises of big savings if you switch your policy. How does each company offer drivers better rates? You have to listen carefully.
All the different companies give the best rates for a prospective insured they prefer to insure. One example of a preferred risk may need to be over the age of 40, has a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured that fits those parameters will probably get the lowest prices and will most likely cut their rates substantially.
Drivers who do not meet the “perfect” profile may be forced to pay more expensive rates and business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” will save that much if they switch. That is how companies can lure you into getting a quote. Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. It is just not possible to predict which company will be your best fit.
Final considerations
When searching for , don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price and still be able to protect your assets.
The cheapest car insurance can be purchased both online and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies don’t offer price quotes online and usually these smaller companies only sell coverage through independent agents.
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like denial of a claim, not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices and even policy non-renewal. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
More tips and info about car insurance is located at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, file complaints about a company, find out industry alerts, and report car insurance fraud.
Additional helpful sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and CarInsuranceDIY.com.