8 Ways to Save on Car Insurance in Franklin

No one looks forward to paying for car insurance, particularly when the cost is way too high.

Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to shop coverage around periodically since rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you're about to find out one of the best ways to find better coverage at a better price.

Be sure to get all your discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be manually applied prior to getting the savings.

Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Federal Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
Lower Rates for Military - Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
Claim Free - Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn a substantially lower rate.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don't apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Franklin, click here.

Franklin Car Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways to shop for car insurance, and some are easier and takes less work. You can waste a lot of time talking to agents in Franklin, or you can utilize online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each company then gives them pricing for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you can't choose which carriers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in Wisconsin. Click to view list.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare exactly the same coverage information with every price quote. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be impossible to find the best deal in Franklin. Slightly different coverages may result in large price differences. Keep in mind that comparing more company's prices will improve the odds of getting the best offered rates.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a "best" method to buy coverage. Everyone's needs are different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you might need an agent's assistance.

Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Wisconsin?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?

If you can't answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't measure up to the requirements will have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It's just too difficult to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Shop smart and save

When shopping online for car insurance, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.

We just covered a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .

Additional Wisconsin consumer information

Additional information can be found on the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.