10 Best Methods to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Altoona, IA

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer's remorse. Numerous battle for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a to get the lowest rate

It's important to price shop coverage at least once a year since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates last year you will most likely find a better rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to put money back in your pocket.

If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can learn to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Finding affordable coverage in Altoona is not that difficult. Iowa consumers only need to know the most effective way to compare company rates on the web.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings. If they aren't giving you every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

Sign Online - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
Safety Course Discount - Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
No Charge for an Accident - A few companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky.

Is there truth in advertising?

Consumers in Iowa get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing about savings if you change your policy.

How do they all claim to save you money?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable insured might be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any new insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't measure up to the "perfect" profile will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Even more information can be read at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and discover disciplinary actions.

A tidy conclusion

The cheapest car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Altoona insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.