Top Ways to Save on Big Lake Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of scraping the payment together 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 choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price two years ago you may be paying too much now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the proper way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Finding the best rates in Big Lake is quite easy. Just about every vehicle owner who has to buy auto insurance should be able to lower their premiums. Nevertheless, Minnesota drivers do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Comparison of Auto Insurance in Big Lake

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive quote price estimates online. This process is quite simple as you just type in as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company's rating system will obtain credit information and your driving record and generates a price. Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to several different sites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it's very important to perform this step if you are searching for the best price on auto insurance.

There is an easier way!

A less time-consuming method to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form that gets price quotes from a lot of companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online much simpler. As soon as the form is sent, it is quoted and you can choose any one of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. It just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you replicate the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you will get comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

It's important that you understand the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Bump up deductibles to save - 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 could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - Car insurance companies in Minnesota give lower rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in Minnesota are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with poor credit.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance.

Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Big Lake may earn you a small savings because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Good Students Pay Less - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
Save over 55 - Older drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Club Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization could trigger savings on auto insurance.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.

It's important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn't quite work that way.

For a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Minnesota, click this link.

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Minnesota consumers can report car insurance fraud, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Do the work, save more money

Low-cost auto insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Big Lake, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies don't offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

You just read many ideas to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as .