5 Top Ways to Slash Auto Insurance Costs in Coralville

Expensive auto insurance can drain your checking account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Shopping your coverage around is free and is an excellent way to lower your monthly bill. Many insurers compete for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the best rates possible.

It’s smart to compare rates yearly since insurance rates change quite often. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn the best ways to find cheap auto insurance.

If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Finding the best rates in Coralville is not that difficult. Iowa drivers only need to know the most efficient way to shop for auto insurance on the web.

Compare Auto Insurance Today

Getting a cheaper price on insurance can be quick and easy. Just spend a few minutes comparing rates from different insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. One of the simplest ways to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for separate forms to each individual auto insurance company. Completing one form gets rate comparisons direct from many companies.
2. A less efficient way to compare prices is going to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want rates from USAA, Farmers and Liberty Mutual. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to input your insurance information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Coralville, click here.
3. The hardest method of getting rate comparisons to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional advice only provided by licensed Coralville agents. It is possible to compare the best prices online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to determine the best price in Coralville.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but some must be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.

It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

A small number of people just want to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local agencies is important especially in Coralville.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Coralville who will give you bids for your business. You never need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox.

Insurance agencies in Coralville come in two varieties

When finding local Coralville agents, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agencies in Coralville are categorized either independent or captive. While both can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences because it can impact your agent selection.

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we recommend you contact several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.

Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Coralville willing to provide price quotes.

Geico Insurance – 2213 2nd St – Coralville, IA 52241 – (319) 466-3200
Gaffey Insurance Coralville – 302 1st Ave – Coralville, IA 52241 – (319) 351-8175

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only write with one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Coralville that are able to give comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 1322 5th St # 3 – Coralville, IA 52241 – (319) 351-1250
American Family Insurance – 1752 5th St – Coralville, IA 52241 – (319) 466-1088
Allstate Insurance – 472 1st Ave – Coralville, IA 52241 – (319) 339-0275

For a full directory of auto insurance agents in Coralville, please view this page.

Picking an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. These are valid questions to ask:

• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
• Which company do they place the most coverage with?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• How long has their agency been in business in Coralville?

Upon receiving acceptable answers for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles. But keep in mind consumers can cancel your policy at any time so don’t think you are locked into a specific agent for the full term.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.

• Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
• Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
• Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
• Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
• Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
• Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Iowa Insurance Division located here. Iowa drivers can read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and file complaints about a company.

Also read more on these car insurance answers and this link where you can get more info about Coralville coverage.

Auto insurance coverage information

Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by auto insurance companies.

Liability car insurance – Liability coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims like structural damage, court costs, repair costs for stationary objects and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Iowa requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/15,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a deer, falling objects, hitting a bird, fire damage and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a ditch, rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle and backing into a parked car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (20/40/15 in Iowa), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for things like dental work, EMT expenses and hospital visits. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

More effort can pay off

When you buy insurance online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.

Cost effective auto insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Coralville insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.