Find Cheaper Shoreview Auto Insurance

Saving money on Shoreview auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with comparing rates online. People have so many choices that it can quickly become a lot of work to locate the lowest price in Shoreview.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. This article will let you in on how car insurance quotes work and some tricks to saving. But Minnesota drivers do need to know how companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the factors that factor into prices.

  • Always keep insurance in force - Driving with no insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Careers like doctors, architects and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average attributed to stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the flip side, professions such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
  • Don't sacrifice liability coverage - The liability section of your policy will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense coverage starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Sex matters - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Better credit scores mean better rates - Having a bad credit rating is a large factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have poor credit. So if your credit history can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit.

Compare Shoreview Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways of comparing price quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

  1. The fastest way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will return price quotes from all major companies. It's the fastest way to compare.
  2. A more difficult way to get quotes online consists of visiting the website of each company and request a quote. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company's site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

    To view a list of companies in Shoreview, click here.
  3. The least efficient way of comparing rate quotes is driving around to local Shoreview insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the personal advice of a local Shoreview agent. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using the exact same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If you enter different values for each quote it will be impossible to find the best deal in Shoreview. Just a small difference in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company's prices will increase your chances of finding better pricing.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

  • Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • No Claims - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Student Driver Training - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
  • One Accident Forgiven - A few companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Shoreview, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all say the same thing that you'll save big if you move your policy. How do they all make almost identical claims?

All companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who fall outside the "perfect" profile will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's why companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

More detailed Minnesota auto insurance information is available at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Minnesota consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and view a list of available companies.

Final considerations

Consumers who switch companies do it for many reasons like being labeled a high risk driver, high rates after DUI convictions, extreme rates for teen drivers or even delays in responding to claim requests. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is easier than you think.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is possible online in addition to many Shoreview insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.