How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Badger

Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Minnesota drivers. Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to use online quotes to find great coverage at a great price.

Finding affordable coverage in Badger is not that difficult. If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Minnesota consumers only need to know the proper way to compare rates over the internet.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies that sell car insurance do not list all their discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you're not getting every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
Sign Online - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
College Student - Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
Driver Safety - Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Minnesota, click this link.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Badger

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices isn't really that difficult. Consumers just need to take a few minutes comparing rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.

The best way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes from many national carriers.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for auto insurance online requires visiting the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let's assume you want rates from , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Badger, click here.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just double check that you are using identical quote information on every quote you get. If you compare mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Badger.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate rates.

More miles equals more premium - Driving more miles every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.
Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Discounts for married couples - Having a spouse can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. It translates into being more responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Minnesota are known to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, or theft. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment at first, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
More than one policy can earn a discount - Many auto insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you may still want to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers in Minnesota can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay a higher premium which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will fit your personal profile best.

And the best car insurance company is...

When you buy insurance online, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.

The cheapest auto insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents in Badger, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Even more information can be found at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, get help finding coverage, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.