Easy Techniques to Save Money on Onalaska Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the crazy number of auto insurance choices in Onalaska? Lot's of other consumers are too. You have so many options that it can turn into a ton of work to find lower rates.

It's important to price shop coverage every six months because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the quickest way to buy cheaper auto insurance.

Pricing affordable auto insurance in Onalaska is quite easy. Basically, every driver who has to buy auto insurance will most likely be able to save money. Nevertheless, Wisconsin drivers do need to know how insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

Save big with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.

Life Insurance Discount - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Clubs and Organizations - Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.
Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can earn a substantially lower rate.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Onalaska can save you money because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
Seat Belt Usage - Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.

It's important to understand that some credits don't apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Drive less and save money - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your auto insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Do you know your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Safer cars get lower rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit score is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower credit scores. So if your credit history is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Jobs such as lawyers, social workers and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from job stress and long work hours. Conversely, professions such as actors, engineers and retirees pay the least.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you change your policy. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will have to pay more money and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Additional auto insurance information can be found on the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Click here for link. Wisconsin consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, and report car insurance fraud.

Also read more on Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Onalaska insurance agents.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

While you're price shopping online, make sure you don't skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Onalaska insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Drivers leave their current company for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium, lack of trust in their agent and even delays in responding to claim requests. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies is less work than it seems.