Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced car insurance? Trust us, you’re not alone. Insurance companies such as Geico, 21st Century and Progressive all promote huge savings with catchy ads and it is difficult to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Buying car insurance in Martin is not that difficult. But South Dakota car owners do need to learn the way companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.
Most companies make it easy to get prices on the web. Getting quotes can be done by anyone as you simply type in as requested by the quote form. Upon sending the form, the system collects your driving and credit reports and gives you a price quote based on the information you submitted. Online price quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit a lot of sites and type in your information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it is imperative to do this if you want to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.
An easier way to get multiple rate quotes makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from several companies at one time. It saves time, requires less work, and makes rate comparisons a lot less work. Immediately after submitting the form, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the quote results.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and may result in a nice savings.
To quickly find out how much you’re overpaying now, click here and submit the form. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you enter the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this guarantees you will be getting rate quotes for the exact same coverage.
Cheaper South Dakota car insurance quotes with discounts
Some companies don’t always list all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known and the more hidden credits available to bring down your rates.
- Safe Drivers – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Pay Early and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Defensive Driver – Completing a safe driver course could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Online Discount – Certain larger companies will give you a small discount for buying a policy and signing up online.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting coverage on a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers with accident-free driving histories have much lower rates in comparison to drivers who are more careless.
Discounts save money, but please remember that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.
Auto insurance companies that may have some of the above discounts include:
If you need , ask all the companies how you can save money. Some discounts listed above may not be available in your area. To see a list of insurers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Martin, click this link.
Car insurance is available from your local insurance agencies
A small number of people would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is not a bad decision A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is you can get cheap car insurance quotes and still have a local agent. Supporting local insurance agencies is still important in Martin.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to agents in your area that give free quotes to get your business. You won’t even need to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. You can find better rates without requiring a lot of work. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific car insurance provider, just visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
If you are wanting to purchase car insurance from a local agent, you should know the types of agencies and how they operate. Agents are categorized either independent agents or captive agents depending on their employer.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents that elect to be independent do not work for one specific company so as a result can place your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If prices rise, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, we recommend you get some free quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
Shown below is a small list of independent agents in Martin that may be able to give you price quote information.
Gary Nelson Agency – 203 Pugh St – Martin, SD 57551 – (605) 685-6736
Captive Car Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can usually just insure with one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captive agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.
Selecting an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- How many years have they been established?
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
Car insurance can be complex
When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions may help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Why you might pay higher rates in Martin
A large part of saving on car insurance is knowing some of the things that help determine your premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices. Many things are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but some are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how safe your car is.
The list below includes some of the most common factors companies use to determine your rates.
- Five star safety rating saves money – Safer cars cost less to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and reduced instances of injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates.
- Keep the miles off and save – Driving a lot of miles in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies charge rates based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars left parked in the garage receive better premium rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Make sure your declarations sheet properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
- Being married can lower rates – Your spouse can actually save you money compared to being single. Having a significant other translates into being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that married couples file fewer claims.
- Don’t skimp on liability protection – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
- Improve your credit rating – Your credit history is a large factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Insureds that have good credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with lower credit ratings. Therefore, if your credit rating leaves room for improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your vehicle by repairing your credit.
Cheaper car insurance rates are out there
We just showed you many tips how you can shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more you , the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.
Cheaper car insurance is definitely available on the web and also from your neighborhood Martin agents, so you need to with both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not have online quoting and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent agents.
Informative consumer insurance sites
More information is located on the website for the South Dakota Division of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about insurance regulations.
The following information may also be useful.