5 Shopping Tips Shown to Save Money on Auto Insurance Costs in Iowa City
Finding the lowest cost Iowa City auto insurance on the web is impossible for consumers not familiar with online price comaprisons. With dozens of companies competing online, how can Iowa City drivers even start to compare every company to locate the cheapest available price?
Pricing cheaper coverage in Iowa City is not that difficult. If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can use this information to shop for the lowest rates while maximizing coverage. Iowa consumers just need to know the most effective way to buy auto insurance on the web.
How much can you save with these 5 discounts?
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but a few need to be specially asked for before they will apply. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.
To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Iowa, click here to view.
How to Compare Iowa City Auto Insurance Costs
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be a lot of work if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend your day talking about coverages with insurance agencies in Iowa City, or you can utilize online quotes to achieve your goal.
Most of the larger companies belong to an insurance system that enables customers to enter their policy data once, and at least one company then returns a price quote based on that information. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.
To compare pricing click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to doing it this way is that you can’t choose the companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a listing of companies who write auto insurance in Iowa. Click to view list.
Whichever way you use, make sure you use apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If your comparisons have different liability limits it’s impossible to find the best deal in Iowa City.
How much car insurance do I need?
When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-69.jpg" alt="Iowa City Iowa car insurance“/>
Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Auto insurance coverage basics
Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like hitting a bird, vandalism and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Coverage for liability – Liability insurance will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as pain and suffering, court costs, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Iowa requires drivers to carry at least 20,000/40,000/15,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Medical costs insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses such as funeral costs, ambulance fees and dental work. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims like scraping a guard rail, rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since many Iowa drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (20/40/15), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Most of the time these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Quote often and quote early
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice full coverage to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Affordable auto insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Iowa City agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions, denial of a claim or policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Additional Iowa consumer information
Much more information about auto insurance in Iowa is available on the Iowa Insurance Division website located here. Iowa consumers can read consumer alerts, view agent and company licensing information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and report car insurance fraud.
Additional helpful sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this page for help finding agents in Iowa City, IA.