8 Must-Know Methods When Buying Oshkosh Wisconsin Car Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can dwindle your checking account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to cut your insurance bill. Many car insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the cheapest price

It’s a good habit to check car insurance prices before your policy renews since rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the best rates on your last policy there may be better deals available now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to use the internet to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

If you have insurance now or need a new policy, you can follow these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Oshkosh is easy if you know what you’re doing. Wisconsin vehicle owners just need to understand the proper way to find the lowest price online.

Don’t overlook these discounts

Companies do not advertise all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
• Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy life insurance.
• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company you will save at least 10% off all policies.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Oshkosh Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that go into determining car insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

• Choose a safe vehicle and save – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• Multi-policy discounts can save money – Most companies provide better rates to insureds who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you may still want to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
• Traffic citations inflate rates – Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who get severe violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
• Theft deterrents lower rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping auto theft.
• Lower miles equals lower premium – Driving more miles in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Double check that your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage.
• Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• Frequent car insurance claims increase rates – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance companies in Wisconsin award cheaper rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. Car insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
• Rates may be lower depending on your job – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations like judges, business owners and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average due to high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, athletes and homemakers pay the least.

Don’t listen to company ads

Consumers in Wisconsin can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you change to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a desirable insured might be between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. A customer who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who do not match the “perfect” profile will be charged higher prices which leads to business not being written. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. That is why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, find a variety of consumer forms, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Better coverage you can count on

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local Oshkosh insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

You just learned a lot of information how to get a better price on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from an unexpected company. They may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.