Trying to come up with a payment for expensive car insurance can bleed your budget and make it tough to pay other bills. Numerous insurers battle to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company and get the best coverage at the lowest price
Smart consumers take time to price shop coverage every six months due to the fact that insurance rates change frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Finding affordable coverage in Parker is not rocket science. Although South Dakota car owners must understand the methods companies use to market on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
Don’t overlook these car insurance discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t list every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you .
- Anti-theft System – Cars and trucks equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems have a lower chance of being stolen so companies will give you a small discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less in comparison to frequent claim filers.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies allow discounts for switching companies before your current coverage expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Active Military Service – Having a deployed family member may lower your car insurance rates slightly.
- Responsible Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents could pay up to 40% less as compared to drivers with claims.
Discounts lower rates, but most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
A few of the larger companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts include:
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for youthful driver, good student, renewal discount, multi-policy, 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, and driver training.
- MetLife may have discounts that include multi-policy, good driver, good student, defensive driver, claim-free, and accident-free.
- Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy.
- AAA may include discounts for multi-car, anti-theft, AAA membership discount, good driver, and multi-policy.
- American Family offers premium reductions for good student, early bird, bundled insurance, TimeAway discount, accident-free, good driver, and Steer into Savings.
- Geico discounts include driver training, membership and employees, daytime running lights, multi-policy, federal employee, anti-lock brakes, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple policy, passive restraint, good driver, Drive Safe & Save, and student away at school.
Before you buy a policy, ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above might not apply everywhere.
When looking for , there are a couple ways of comparing rate quotes from companies that offer car insurance in South Dakota. The simplest method to compare rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.
If you don’t have a lot of time, the easiest way to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating separate forms for every company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes instantly.
A more time consuming way to find better pricing is to manually visit the website for each individual company and repeat the quote process again and again. For example, we’ll assume you are doing a rate comparison from Liberty Mutual, Esurance and American Family. You would 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 list of links to companies insuring cars in Parker, click here.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you are using equivalent coverage limits for each quote you get. If you compare different data it will be next to impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Parker. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more rates from different companies will increase your chances of finding a better price. Some regional insurers cannot provide online rate quotes, so it’s important to compare rates from the smaller companies as well.
Good choices result in lower premiums
Many factors are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or your commute time. Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that are used to determine your car insurance rates. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in big savings.
The following are a few of the “ingredients” utilized by car insurance companies to help set prices.
- Low mileage costs less – Driving a lot of miles in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Autos that are left in the garage receive better premium rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s a good idea to make sure your declarations sheet is rated on annual mileage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Insurance rates in urban areas – Residing in less populated areas may provide you with better prices when it comes to car insurance. Residents of big cities tend to have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers and short commutes means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
- Combine policies with the same company – Lots of companies give a discount to customers that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to compare rates to ensure the best deal.
- Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means your insurance company pays less and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- Rates and occupation – Do you have a high-stress occupation? Occupations such as military personnelair traffic controllers and medical professionals generally pay higher average rates due to job stress and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, professions such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
- High credit scores save money – Having a bad credit score will be a significant factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit rating leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your vehicle by repairing your credit. Drivers with very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers with worse credit.
- Lower premiums for being claim-free – Companies in South Dakota award discounts to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of more catestrophic claims.
- How your age affects rates – Teenage drivers in South Dakota are known to be inattentive and easily distracted when driving with friends so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older people are more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents and receive fewer citations.
When to get professional advice
When buying coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you would benefit from professional advice.
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Can you really save that much by switching?
State Farm and Allstate regularly use television, radio, and online ads. They all try to convey promises of big savings just by switching to their company. How is it possible that every company can claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Many companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that earns them the most money. A good example of a preferred risk should be a female over age 40, has never had a claim, and has excellent credit. Any customer who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest auto insurance rates in Parker and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who fall short of those standards will probably be forced to pay higher premiums which translates to the customer not buying. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how companies can make claims that they all have the best auto insurance rates. This really drives home the point why drivers must do a price quote comparison at every renewal. Because you never know with any certainty which company will give you the biggest savings.
More comparisons equals lower rates
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
Budget-conscious car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Parker agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers may not have online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies.
More sites with car insurance information
More detailed South Dakota car insurance information can be read at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and file complaints about a company.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Parker