Tightwads Tips for Saving on Portage Car Insurance

Have you had enough of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Wisconsin drivers. Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to be able to choose, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews because rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price two years ago you can probably find a better price now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the internet, so we're going to give you some great ways to quit paying high car insurance rates.

Shopping for the cheapest car insurance coverage in Portage is easy if you know what you're doing. If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates and still get good coverage. Wisconsin vehicle owners just need to know the proper methods to shop their coverage around online.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.

Do you know you're credit rating? - Your credit rating is a important factor in your rate calculation. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than those with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Don't let your coverage lapse - Not having insurance is illegal and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Wisconsin motor vehicle department.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations like judges, architects and financial analysts have higher average rates because of stressful work requirements and long work hours. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
Men fork out a little more - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women cause accidents in similar numbers, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.
How's your driving record? - Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who get severe violations like DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Bump up deductibles to save - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, collision with an animal, and burglary. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - The majority of companies give discounts to policyholders who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
High crash test scores lower rates - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.

More discounts equal less premium

Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers pay much less compared to accident-prone drivers.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
Good Students Pay Less - This discount can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
Low Mileage - Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Defensive Driving Course - Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will bring down your premiums.

To choose providers with the best car insurance discounts in Wisconsin, follow this link.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm and Allstate. All the ads say the same thing that you'll save big if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company make the same claim?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk could be between 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Drivers who do not match these standards will be charged higher premiums which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can state the savings.

That is why you should get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Much more information about car insurance in Wisconsin is located on the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance located here. Consumers can find out industry alerts, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and learn about insurance regulations.

Best coverage at the best price

We just showed you many ways to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as .

Discount car insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Portage, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.