Buying auto insurance online could seem overwhelming if you haven’t ever used quote comparisons online. Don’t worry though because using the internet to shop for auto insurance is actually quite easy.
Consumers need to shop coverage around every six months since insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the lowest price on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the quickest ways to find better coverage at a better price.
Getting a cheap price on insurance is not rocket science. You just need to invest a little time to get quotes online with multiple companies. Comparing prices online can be done using a couple different methods.
The best way consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This method saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for each price estimate. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes direct from many companies. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
A slightly less efficient method to compare prices consists of going to the website for every company you want to comare and get a separate price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to get rates from Geico, Liberty Mutual and American Family. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and type in your information over and over, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Clear Lake, click here.
The hardest method of comparing rate quotes is driving around to each insurance agency near you. Quoting and buying insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you want the extra assistance only provided by licensed Clear Lake agents. If you prefer, some companies allow you to compare online quotes but have your policy serviced through an agent.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just make sure you compare equivalent coverage limits on every quote you get. If you are comparing mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the lowest rate in Clear Lake.
Buying from car insurance agents
A small number of people still like to get professional advice from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. A good thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that drivers can get lower prices but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the quote information is transmitted to insurance agents in Clear Lake that can give you for your auto insurance coverage. You don’t have to leave your computer because prices are sent to you instantly. If you wish to get a price quote from a particular provider, you would need to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
When searching for an insurance agent, you should know the different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agents can be described as either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to point out the difference between them since it can impact the kind of agent you use.
Captive Agencies
Agents of this type can only provide one company’s prices such as Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents receive a lot of sales training on the products they sell which can be an advantage. Drivers often buy from the same agent for years partially due to the prominent brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below are Clear Lake captive insurance agencies that can give you price quote information.
- State Farm Insurance – 220 Us Highway 18 W – Clear Lake, IA 50428 – (641) 357-8292
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 18 N 8th St – Clear Lake, IA 50428 – (641) 357-5824
Independent Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not required to write business for one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If they find a lower price, an independent agent can move your coverage which makes it simple for you.
When comparing auto insurance prices, we recommend you get insurance quotes from several independent insurance agents to maximize your price options. Most can insure with smaller companies who may have lower rates.
The following are independent agents in Clear Lake who can help you get rate quotes.
- First Gabrielson Agency – 815 4th Ave S – Clear Lake, IA 50428 – (641) 357-6117
- Ma Arneson Insurance Inc – 322 Main Ave – Clear Lake, IA 50428 – (641) 355-2223
- Farmland Insurance – 120 Clark Rd # 19 – Clear Lake, IA 50428 – (641) 357-8191
To view more licensed insurance agents in Clear Lake, feel free to view this list of Clear Lake auto insurance agencies.
More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Iowa consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.