5 Top Ways to Cut Car Insurance Costs in Martin

Shopping for the most affordable Martin car insurance online may be impossible for beginners to online price comaprisons. With so many choices of online companies available, how can consumers effectively compare every one to find the best price?

It's important to price shop coverage on a regular basis since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to show you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Finding affordable car insurance in Martin is not that difficult. Essentially anyone who is required by state law to have car insurance stands a good chance to be able to save money. But South Dakota consumers do need to know how insurance companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

Don't pay full price with these 5 discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to getting the savings.

  • Good Student Discount - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
  • E-sign - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
  • Multiple Cars - Having all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
  • Save with a New Car - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.

Consumers should know that some credits don't apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will bring down your premiums.

To see a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in South Dakota, click here.

South Dakota car insurance

Martin Car Insurance Prices Online

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you aren't aware of the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a lot of time talking to local insurance agents in Martin, or you can stay home and use the web to get prices fast.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and each company can provide price quotes based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

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

The only drawback to comparing rates this way is you don't know exactly which carriers you will receive quotes from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in South Dakota. Click here to view list.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing identical quote information on every quote you get. If you have mixed coverages it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Martin. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Just remember that comparing more company's prices helps you find a better price.

The car insurance bait and switch

Companies like State Farm and Allstate consistently run ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim that you'll save big if you change your policy. How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't measure up to these standards will be charged a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. This is how companies can claim big savings.

That is why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

We just covered a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier.

Discount car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Martin insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

For more South Dakota car insurance information

Much more information about car insurance in South Dakota can be found on the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and report car insurance fraud.

Additional helpful sites include NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of insurance agents in Martin South Dakota.