How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Trimont

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Minnesota consumers. You have so many to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

Tips to Get Lower Trimont Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Do you have enough liability coverage? - The liability section of your policy will protect you if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Never let your coverage lapse - Not having insurance is against the law and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Minnesota DMV.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as lawyers, social workers and financial analysts have higher average rates due to high stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in Minnesota tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Having a spouse can save you money - Having a spouse actually saves money on auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages for personal injury protection, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These coverages may sound good initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
High credit ratings translate to low rates - A driver's credit rating is a big factor in your rate calculation. People with good credit tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit score can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder auto theft.

More discounts equal less premium

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, buy you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Organization Discounts - Being a member of a qualifying organization may earn a discount when buying auto insurance.
Seat Belt Usage - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Student in College - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.

Keep in mind that some credits don't apply to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think it's possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will bring down your premiums.

To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Minnesota, click here.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Minnesota can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who do not match these standards must pay more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can make those claims.

This illustrates why you should compare many company's rates. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

More information can be found on the website for the Minnesota Department of Commerce found here. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

In the end, you save

Affordable auto insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Trimont, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don't offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, it's very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.