Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Dayton Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as the majority of other car owners in Iowa.

Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Dayton is easy if you know what you're doing. But Iowa vehicle owners do need to know how companies compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but a few must be asked for before you will receive the discount.

Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
No Claims - Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Dayton may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
Employee of Federal Government - Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
Auto/Home Discount - If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce your premiums.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability coverage will protect you if a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
Men pay higher rates - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women cause accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Small claims can cost you - Auto insurance companies in Iowa provide cheaper rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as judges, architects and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates because of stressful work requirements and long work hours. Other jobs such as farmers, historians and performers pay the least.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Your location is important - Being located in a small town is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large Iowa cities tend to have more traffic problems and much longer commute distances. Longer commute distances translates into higher accident risk.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big after switching your policy. How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to the requirements must pay more money which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can claim big savings.

This illustrates why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Much more information about auto insurance in Iowa is located on the website for the Iowa Insurance Division located here. Iowa drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.

Do the work, save more money

Discount auto insurance can be bought on the web in addition to many Dayton insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.