Are you irritated from being strong-armed to pay car insurance each month? Your situation is no different than millions of other drivers. Many car insurance companies compete for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies to find the absolute lowest cost out there.
You should make it a habit to compare premium rates on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the best deal six months ago you may be paying too much now. You can search a lot of car insurance online, but I’m going to show you some great ideas on how to quit paying high car insurance rates.
Affordable Paul car insurance price quotes
There are several ways to shop for car insurance, but there is one way that is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend the better part of a day talking about coverages with agents in Paul, or you could use online quotes to get prices fast.
All the larger companies participate in an industry program where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and at least one company then gives them pricing. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for every car insurance company.
To submit your quote information now, click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to using this type of system is buyers cannot specifically choose the insurers you want pricing from. If you wish to select from a list of companies to compare, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Idaho. Click to view list.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just try to keep nearly identical deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If each company quotes differing limits it will be nearly impossible to get a fair rate comparison in Paul. Just a small difference in insurance coverages or limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that comparing more company’s prices will increase your chances of finding a lower rate.
Informed consumers know how to buy car insurance cheaper
Lots of things are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious like your driving record, but other criteria are more transparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.
- Minor frequent car insurance claims are not good – Car insurance companies in Idaho give most affordable rates to people that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for more catestrophic claims.
- Discounts for GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Driving a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system help track and prevent vehicle theft.
- Don’t cancel your car insurance without a new one in place – Driving any period of time without insurance is illegal and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance expire. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance may result in a steep fine or even jail time.
- Job and insurance premiums – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Careers such as fire fighters, executives and dentists generally have higher rates than the rest of us because of job stress and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, careers such as scientists, historians and the unemployed pay lower than average rates.
- Single drivers may get higher costs – Having a wife or husband may save some money on your car insurance bill. It translates into being more stable financially and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
Cheaper rates with these car insurance discounts
Companies that sell car insurance do not list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that you may qualify for.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child sucessfully take a drivers education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Online Discount – A few companies give back up to $50 for signing up online.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Accident Forgiveness – but a few companies such as State Farm and Allstate permit an accident before they charge you more for coverage so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
- No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on compared to policyholders that have many claims.
- Telematics Data – Policyholders that allow companies to monitor their driving habits through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
- Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driver skills could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can get you a discount because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
One last thing about discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Some companies that possibly offer these discounts possibly include:
Double check with every company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policies everywhere. To see a list of car insurance companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Idaho, follow this link.
Car insurance can get complicated
When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Buy online or local, you save
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
We covered many ways to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. They can often provide lower auto insurance rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
Much more information about car insurance in Idaho can be found on the website for the Idaho Department of Insurance located here. Idaho drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
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