Tightwads Guide for Saving on Viborg Auto Insurance

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in South Dakota. Big companies like GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you have insurance now or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Viborg is not that difficult. South Dakota consumers only need to know the tricks to compare company rates online.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in big savings.

Don't skimp on liability - Liability insurance will protect you if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Most companies will award you with lower prices to customers who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as real estate brokers, architects and dentists tend to have the highest average rates due to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations like farmers, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if they're wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Where you reside plays a part - Being located in less populated areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Drivers who live in large South Dakota cities regularly have more traffic problems and longer commute times. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Auto/Home Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
No Accidents - Claim-free drivers pay less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
Defensive Driver - Taking part in a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Passive Restraints - Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Good Students Pay Less - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.

A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Viborg, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

South Dakota consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you switch to their company.

How can each company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't measure up to the requirements must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More South Dakota auto insurance information

Even more information can be read at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, and read industry bulletins.

In the end, you save

The cheapest auto insurance can be found online and also from your neighborhood Viborg agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.