Tightwads Guide for Saving on Packwood Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to make sure you're not throwing money away.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to get comparison quotes on a regular basis because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest rates last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the tricks you need to know to save on auto insurance.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Teen drivers pay high rates - More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Teen drivers are known to be less responsible when driving and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. It usually means you are more mature and it's statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
The more you drive the more you pay - Driving more miles in a year's time the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers apply a rate based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Jobs such as lawyers, architects and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as pilots, historians and performers pay the least.
Liability insurance protects assets - Liability coverage is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Choose a safe vehicle and save - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.

How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost in Packwood, Iowa

All major auto insurance companies allow you to get insurance quotes online. This process doesn't take much effort as you just type in the coverages you want as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information based on many factors. Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms gets old quite quickly. But it's very important to get many rate quotes in order to find better auto insurance pricing.

There is a better way!

The preferred way to find lower prices uses one form that gets price quotes from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online price comparison much more efficient. After sending your information, it is rated and you can select your choice of the resulting price quotes. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit the form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you enter the limits and deductibles exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you're receiving rate quotes for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Auto insurance companies don't always list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

College Student - 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 - A handful of insurance companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Discount for New Cars - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it's possible to get free car insurance, you're out of luck.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Packwood, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy. How can each company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to quote coverage with many companies. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Iowa consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, get help finding coverage, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read industry bulletins.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Packwood insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.