Is Your North Sioux City Auto Insurance Breaking the Bank?

Tired of scraping the payment together to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as millions of other consumers.

With consumers having so many choices of insurance companies, it is hard for the average consumer to find the lowest cost provider.

It’s a great practice to price shop coverage once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates tend to go up over time. Just because you had the best deal a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn a lot of great tips on how to save money.

Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest in North Sioux City, SD?

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The easiest way by far to find the cheapest insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in several different ways.

Probably the best way to find low rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions for each company. One quote request gets you coverage quotes from several companies.
Another way to analyze rates requires you to visit the website of each company and request a quote. For example, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from GEICO, Allstate and Liberty Mutual. You would have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.
To view a list of companies in North Sioux City, click here.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverages on every quote. If you compare different liability limits then you won’t be able to make an equal comparison in North Sioux City. Slightly different limits may cause a big price difference. Just remember that quoting more helps you find the best offered rates.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving.

Senior Discount – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home in North Sioux City may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

Make smart decisions and save

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

What type of vehicle do you drive? – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a big difference in how high your rates are. Low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your policy. Things like roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea initially, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
Marriage brings a discount – Having a spouse helps lower the price on auto insurance. It means you’re more mature and responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Cautious drivers pay less – Even one citation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. If you have serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Low deductibles can be expensive – The deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Your car’s features help determine rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent car theft.
Liability insurance protects assets – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.

Additional detailed information can be found at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota drivers can get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, file complaints about a company, and view a list of available companies.

Other informative sites include this page for auto insurance prices in South Dakota and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.

Can you really save $452 a year?

State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies have a common claim that you’ll save big if you switch to their company. How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a desirable insured might be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer who fits that profile receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s the way companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why it is so important to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

In conclusion

Discount auto insurance is possible online and with local North Sioux City insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

We just covered many ideas to get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.