Insider Advice on Paying Less for Ottumwa Auto Insurance

Finding affordable Ottumwa auto insurance can be a challenge for consumers new to buying insurance online. You have so many options that it can quickly become a lot of work to compare prices in Ottumwa.

Finding affordable coverage in Ottumwa is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Iowa consumers only need to know the proper way to shop for auto insurance on the web.

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Ottumwa, IA

Reducing your insurance rates is not rocket science. All that’s required is to spend a few minutes to compare quotes online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The single most time-saving way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. A single, simple form will return price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices. Just one form and you’re done.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for auto insurance online is to manually visit the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Liberty Mutual and GMAC. 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 Ottumwa, click here.
The most time-consuming way of getting rate comparisons is to waste gas driving to different Ottumwa agent offices. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed Ottumwa agents. Drivers can find lower rates online and still use a local agent.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage information for every company. If the quotes have differing limits it’s impossible to decipher which rate is best in Ottumwa.

Do you qualify for a discount?

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list every discount very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Paperless Signup – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accident claims.
Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive better auto insurance rates.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you’re out of luck.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Iowa, click here to view.

What about my local Ottumwa agents?

Certain consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is OK! Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.

After filling out this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to participating agents in Ottumwa who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. How cool is that?!

Deciding on an provider shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions: Auto insurance in Iowa

Who are their largest clients?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
How are claims handled?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
Who is covered by the car insurance policy?

Two types of car insurance agents

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Insurance agencies in Ottumwa are classified as either independent or captive. Both types can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning how they differ because it can influence the selection process.

Agency Captives

Captive insurance agents can only write with one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often choose to use a captive agent primarily because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

The following are Ottumwa captive insurance agents willing to provide price quotes.

Shelter Insurance – 611 Church St – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-0832
American Family Insurance – 409 Church St – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 683-1891
Farm Bureau Insurance – 639 Pennsylvania Ave – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-8714
Farmers Insurance Group – 112 N Court St – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 684-6264
Allstate Insurance – 425 W 2nd St – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-4519

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When shopping rates, we recommend you include at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from. They also have the ability to place coverage with different regional companies which can be an advantage.

Shown below are independent insurance agents in Ottumwa that can give you rate quotes.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 639 Pennsylvania Ave – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-8714
Oscar Axthelm Agency – 207 E Maple Ave – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-6138
Rominger Insurance – 109 W 2nd St – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 684-6575
Linda Lyon Agency – 101 S Market St # 207 – Ottumwa, IA 52501 – (641) 682-8004

For a full directory of auto insurance agents in Ottumwa, visit this link.

After receiving positive feedback to all your questions as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that can service your policy.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

Having a spouse can save you money – Having a spouse can get you a discount on your policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Poor driving leads to higher costs – Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single moving violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers with severe tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
How many coverages with the same company – Most insurance companies give discounts to insureds who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Letting your insurance expire is a fast way to bump up your auto insurance costs. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may need to file a SR-22 with the Iowa motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability insurance is the protection if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Your stress level may be raising your rates – Occupations such as lawyers, business owners and accountants tend to have higher rates than average due to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations like actors, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.
Don’t buy coverages you don’t need – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Men are more aggressive – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.

A tidy conclusion

People who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium or unfair underwriting practices. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

Cheap auto insurance is attainable online and with local Ottumwa insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

More Iowa auto insurance information

Additional detailed information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, report car insurance fraud, and read industry bulletins.

Other informative sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this page for help finding agents in Ottumwa, IA.