Easy Ways to Save Money on Sandpoint Idaho Auto Insurance

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparison shopping is a smart way to lower your monthly bill. Companies like State Farm and GEICO increase brand awareness with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the promise of big savings and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It’s a good habit to shop coverage around at least once a year because rates change frequently. Even if you think you had the lowest price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get some proven techniques to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can learn to get lower rates while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Sandpoint is quite easy. Idaho consumers just need to know how to find the lowest price online.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.

Liability coverage protects you – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you when a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Adjust deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, or theft. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are quite a few add-on coverages you can purchase when buying auto insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good at first, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
Your spouse saves you money – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Teen drivers are known to be less responsible when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Lower miles equals lower premium – The higher the mileage driven every year the higher your rates will be. Most companies charge to insure your cars determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Idaho provide better rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Paperwork-free – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application online.
Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
Organization Discounts – Belonging to certain professional organizations may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Good Student – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.

It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay. free Sandpoint Idaho insurance quote

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Idaho, click here.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

Some consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! Good agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find the best rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local businesses is definitely important in Sandpoint.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is immediately sent to insurance agents in Sandpoint who will compete for your business. You never need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Below is a list of insurance companies in Sandpoint that are able to give price quotes.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 920 Kootenai Cut Off Rd, Sandpoint, ID 83864 – (208) 263-3161
State Farm Insurance – 302 W Main St, Sandpoint, ID 83864 – (208) 263-4264
Advocate Insurance Svc – 506 Alder St, Sandpoint, ID 83864 – (208) 255-2222
Stephen Smith Agency – 112 N 4th Ave, Sandpoint, ID 83864 – (208) 265-4562
North Idaho Insurance – 102 W Superior St, Sandpoint, ID 83864 – (208) 263-2194

Selecting an insurance company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:

Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
Which company do they place the most coverage with?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?

Upon receiving satisfactory answers to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance company that can provide auto insurance coverage.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
Do I need higher deductibles?
How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

Online resources for education

Additional auto insurance information is available on the website for the Idaho Department of Insurance located here. Idaho consumers can view agent and company licensing information, learn about specific coverages, report car insurance fraud, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Better coverage you can count on

We’ve covered many tips how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

When shopping online for auto insurance, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.