How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Auto Insurance in Albertville

No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing the cost is too high. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to do rate comparisons occasionally since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to save money.

Save big with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Bundle and Save - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Memberships - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Have your child complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
  • Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.

It's important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Albertville, follow this link.

Minnesota auto insurance quotes

Finding Auto Insurance Deals in Albertville, MN

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is a fairly straight forward process. You just have to invest a little time to compare quotes provided by online insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do repetitive form entry for each company you want a rate for. A single form gets you price quotes direct from many companies.
  • A less efficient way to get quotes online requires a trip to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For examples sake, we'll pretend you want to compare , and . To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Albertville, click here.

Whichever way you use, make absolute certain that you use exactly the same quote information for each price quote. If the quotes have mixed coverages it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Albertville.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Albertville

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Rural vs Urban Areas - Living in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers tend to have much more traffic to deal with and longer commutes to work. Longer commute distances means more change of being in an accident.
  • Discounts for multiple policies - Some companies will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
  • Liability insurance protects assets - Your policy's liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - Car insurance companies in Minnesota provide cheaper rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out if your situation will benefit from professional help.

  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Am I getting all the discounts available?
  • Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Minnesota?
  • Should I buy additional glass protection?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Minnesota drivers can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save if you change to them.

How can each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

A tidy conclusion

As you shop your coverage around, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured cut full coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Albertville insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

Albertville auto insurance quote

For more Minnesota car insurance information

More information can be read on the website for the Minnesota Department of Commerce located here. Minnesota drivers can view agent and company licensing information, read consumer alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and download brochures.