Tightwads Guide for Saving on Winsted Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced auto insurance? Trust us, many Winsted consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

Big companies like GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Buying car insurance in Winsted is not that difficult. Although Minnesota vehicle owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.

How to Compare Winsted Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to find the lowest rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This form eliminates the need for multiple quote forms for every auto insurance company. Completing one form will return price quotes from multiple low-cost companies.

A harder way to compare rate quotes consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For instance, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Winsted, click here.

The hardest method of comparing rate quotes is to spend your day driving to and from local Winsted insurance agencies. The internet makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a local Winsted agent. Drivers can compare the best prices online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If your comparisons have different values for each quote it will be very difficult to find the best deal in Winsted. Having just a slight variation in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that more quotes will improve the odds of getting better pricing.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Winsted

It's important that you understand the rating factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Safer occupants lowers premiums - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - Auto insurance companies in Minnesota give cheaper rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - The majority of auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are a lot of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren't careful. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Your credit rating is important - A driver's credit rating is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores. So if your credit can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your credit score.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
Discounts for married couples - Having a spouse actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.

Take advantage of discounts

Auto insurance companies don't always advertise all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to enroll in driver's education in high school.
Federal Government Employee - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Defensive Driving Course - Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky.

For a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Winsted, click this link.

Even more information can be found at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website. Minnesota drivers can find disaster information, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.

Do the work, save more money

The cheapest auto insurance is possible on the web and with local Winsted insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it's a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.