How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Dorchester

Paying for high-priced car insurance can dwindle your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is a smart way to cut your insurance bill.

With consumers having so many options when it comes to car insurance, it is hard for the average consumer to find the cheapest insurance company.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Dorchester

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Add-on coverages can add up - There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Things like rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.
With age comes lower rates - Young drivers in Wisconsin are known to get distracted easily when driving so car insurance rates are higher. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver to your policy can break the bank. More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Your credit rating is important - A driver's credit history is a big factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. If your credit rating is not that good, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores.
How's your driving record? - Good drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Just one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don't list all available discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

Driver Safety - Completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Accident Waiver - Some insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven't had any claims prior to the accident.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Early Switch Discount - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It's a savings of about 10%.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Wisconsin, follow this link.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on television and other media. All the companies say the same thing about savings after switching to them. But how can every company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A customer who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you will benefit from professional help.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Dorchester?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

More sites with car insurance information

Even more information can be found at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about insurance regulations, and find out industry alerts.

Other informative sites include this resource for Wisconsin car insurance prices and this link which helps you find a Dorchester agent.

Final considerations

Cheaper car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local Dorchester insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you a lot of tips how to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small mutual company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as .