Secret Methods for Buying Eagle Car Insurance at a Discount

Overpriced car insurance can empty your bank account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to help make ends meet.

Because there are so many companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to find the lowest price insurance company.

It is always a good idea to do rate comparisons at least once a year since insurance rates change regularly. If you had the lowest price six months ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the best methods to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Eagle is not rocket science. Basically, every driver who is shopping for car insurance will be able to find better rates. But Idaho drivers need to have an understanding of how companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.

How your Eagle rates are determined

It’s important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Drive less and save money – The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies apply a rate based on their usage. Vehicles that are left in the garage receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Sex matters – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Women and men cause accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage. They also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Little extras can really add up – There are a lot of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and term life insurance are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
Tickets mean higher rates – Careful drivers receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single moving violation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. If you have severe 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 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Teen drivers pay high rates – Teen drivers in Idaho are known to be less responsible when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. Parents adding a teenage driver to your car insurance policy can break the bank. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.

Compare Eagle Car Insurance Costs

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You could waste a few hours talking to insurance agencies in Eagle, or you can utilize online quotes to get pricing more quickly.

Many companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers send in one quote, and every company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.

To use this form to compare rates click here (opens in new window).

The only drawback to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose which companies to receive prices from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare rates, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Idaho. Click here for list of insurance companies in Idaho. compare rates in Eagle ID

Whichever method you choose, double check that you are using exactly the same quote information for every company. If you use different liability limits then you won’t be able to make an equal comparison in Eagle. Just a small difference in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the ads say the same thing that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. Any driver who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Drivers who fall outside the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher premiums and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims. This emphasizes why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It’s not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Companies don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Save over 55 – Mature drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
One Accident Forgiven – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
Student in College – Children living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
Military Rewards – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Defensive Driver – Taking part in a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy could earn a price break for each car.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Eagle, click here to view.

You may need specialized coverage

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help you determine if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
Should I buy only the required Idaho minimum liability coverage?
Will my rates increase for filing one claim?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Idaho Department of Insurance website. Idaho consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, report car insurance fraud, and get help finding coverage.

Additional helpful sites include this resource for Idaho car insurance prices and this list of insurance agents in Eagle.

A little work can save a LOT of money

When shopping online for car insurance, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, someone dropped full coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

We just presented many ways to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the best prices are with the least-expected company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.