How to Know You’re Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Winnemucca
Searching for affordable Winnemucca auto insurance online may be intimidating for consumers not familiar with online price comaprisons. With so many choices of choices, how can anyone possibly compare every company to locate the lowest price?
It is always a good idea to compare rates every six months because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the best deal a year ago you can probably find a better price now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the fastest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Resident Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education in high school.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To see a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Winnemucca, click this link.
Get Cheaper Rates by Understanding Pricing
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get big savings.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Teen drivers pay high rates – Young drivers in Nevada have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a teen driver onto your auto insurance can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
- Do you have a high stress job? – Occupations like judges, executives and stock brokers tend to have the highest rates due to high stress levels and long work days. On the other hand, occupations such as scientists, students and the unemployed receive lower rates.
- How’s your driving record? – Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates than bad drivers. Only having one citation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. If you have serious violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
- Save money with special equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping auto theft.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Many insurers will award you with lower prices to customers who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving with no insurance is illegal and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.
- Add-on coverages can add up – There are quite a few extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Do drivers who switch really save $477 a year?
Consumers can’t get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the same claim of big savings if you move to their company.
How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives newer vehicles. A customer who matches those parameters will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who don’t meet the requirements will be charged more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can claim big savings. That is why drivers should compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which company will fit your personal profile best.
To learn even more about auto insurance
Additional detailed information can be found at the Nevada Division of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read state legal mandates and laws, and find a variety of consumer forms.
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Final considerations
Insureds change insurance companies for many reasons like not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices, delays in responding to claim requests or questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies can be pretty painless.
You just learned quite a bit of information on how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Budget-conscious auto insurance can be sourced online and also from your neighborhood Winnemucca agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.