If you’re new to shopping for , chances are good that you are baffled by the vast assortment of online companies who claim to have the best car insurance rates.
It’s important to get comparison quotes yearly since prices change frequently. If you had the best deal two years ago a different company probably has better rate quotes today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because it’s time to teach you one of the easiest ways to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
Comparing car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You can waste hours talking to local insurance agents in Salmon, or you could save time and use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Most of the best insurance companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company can give them a price based on that information. This saves time by eliminating quote forms for each company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The only drawback to pricing coverage this way is you can’t choose the providers you want to price. If you prefer to choose individual companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of companies who write car insurance in Idaho. Click to view list.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples quote data with each company. If you are comparing different limits and deductibles on each one then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate in Salmon.
Discounts for lower Idaho car insurance rates
Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that you may not even know about. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit.
- Senior Citizen Rates – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you are able to get better car insurance rates.
- Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up could cut 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- E-sign – Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 for completing your application on the internet.
- Active Service Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower car insurance rates.
- Homeowners Savings – Just owning your own home can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
- Multiple Cars – Insuring several vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride.
A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts can be read below.
- Geico offers premium reductions for anti-theft, daytime running lights, driver training, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- MetLife has discounts for claim-free, accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, defensive driver, good student
- State Farm includes discounts for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, defensive driving training, and good driver.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, and continuous coverage.
- Mercury Insurance has savings for age of vehicle, multi-policy, accident-free, good driver, professional/association, and anti-theft.
- 21st Century may include discounts for defensive driver, automatic seat belts, good student, theft prevention, and driver training.
- Allstate may offer discounts for FullPay discount, premier plus, teenSMART discount, 55 and retired, and anti-theft.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each insurance company how you can save money. Savings may not apply to policyholders in your state.
Six things that affect insurance prices
Many factors are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but others are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or how safe your car is.
The itemized list below are just a few of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a significant difference in your car insurance bill. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Your car’s features help determine prices – Choosing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your rates. Advanced theft deterrents such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack help track and prevent auto theft.
- Low comp and collision deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a dented fender, hitting a deer, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles you choose represent how much money you are willing to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. The more money you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Avoid unnecessary extra coverages – Insurance companies have many extra add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you don’t pay attention. Things like coverage for rental cars, better glass coverage, and membership fees may be wasting your money. They may seem good when buying your policy, but now you might not need them so consider taking them off your policy.
- Don’t cancel your car insurance without a new one in place – Driving your car without having proper coverage is not a good idea and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance lapse. Not only will rates go up, not being able to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time. You may then have to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Idaho motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Bundling policies can get discounts – Some car insurance companies allow better rates to buyers that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to check prices from other companies to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.There is a chance you can save even more than the discount by insuring with multiple companies.
Much more information about car insurance in Idaho is available on the found here. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, and read consumer alerts.
Final considerations
Cheaper car insurance can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not provide online quoting and usually these small insurance companies work with local independent agencies.
Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions and even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching car insurance companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.
When you , it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.