Top 5 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in St Cloud

Purchasing the cheapest St Cloud car insurance on the web is somewhat difficult for beginners to comparison shopping online. With so many choices of companies in the marketplace, how can consumers even start to compare every one to find the lowest price available?

It's important to compare rates yearly since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest price on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to use online quotes to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Compare Car Insurance Today

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take time and effort if you don't understand the easiest way. You can spend your afternoon discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in St Cloud, or you could save time and use online quoting to get prices fast.

Most of the larger companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests to each individual car insurance company.

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

One minor caviat to doing it this way is that consumers can't choose which providers you want pricing from. If you wish to select individual companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Minnesota. Click to view list.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use identical quote information for each price quote. If you are comparing mixed coverages it's not possible to truly determine the lowest rate in St Cloud. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that getting more free quotes helps you find the best offered rates.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be inquired about before you will receive the discount.

Accident Waiver - Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Good Student Discount - This discount can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
College Student - Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Driver Safety - Taking a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose companies who offer car insurance discounts in Minnesota, click this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching to their company. How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. Any new insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Drivers who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a "best" method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you might need professional guidance.

I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
What are the financial responsibility laws in Minnesota?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Additional information is located on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website located here. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other informative sites include this site for Minnesota car insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in St Cloud.

Final considerations

Cheap car insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood St Cloud agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.

We just covered some good ideas how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with the least-expected company.