Proven Ways to Save on Fairfax Car Insurance

Have you had enough of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as most other car owners in Minnesota.

Big companies like GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates before your policy renews since rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price last year you can probably find a better price now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you're about to find out the proper way to find better coverage at a better price.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Fairfax is quite easy. Nevertheless, Minnesota consumers do need to know the methods companies use to sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Fairfax Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

  • Credit scores impact car insurance rates - Your credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit score is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies in Minnesota provide cheaper rates to policyholders who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • More people means more accidents - Being located in small towns and rural areas has it's advantages when talking about car insurance. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accidents. Drivers who live in large Minnesota cities have congested traffic and a longer drive to work. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying car insurance. Marriage means you're more mature and responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance will protect you in the event that you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Bump up deductibles to save - Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and burglary. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Don't let your coverage lapse - Letting your insurance expire is a guaranteed way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.

Minnesota car insurance

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list every available discount in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden car insurance savings.

  • Air Bag Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance.
  • E-sign - A few companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.
  • Low Mileage - Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Multi-car Discount - Having more than one vehicle with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for better car insurance rates.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

To choose providers offering car insurance discounts in Fairfax, follow this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Companies like State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you switch to their company. How can each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk might be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't measure up to the requirements will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. That is why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more today

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and get help finding coverage.

Final considerations

We just covered a lot of tips how to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company. Some small companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as .

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.