Is Your Wisconsin Car Insurance Costing Too Much?

Finding cheap Wisconsin car insurance on the internet can seem to be difficult for people who are new to comparing rates online.

It’s smart to do rate comparisons yearly since rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the best price two years ago you may be paying too much now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance on the web, but with this article, you’re going to get some great ways to find affordable car insurance.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Buying the lowest cost car insurance is quite easy, although Wisconsin drivers must know the way insurance companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.

Compare Car Insurance Today

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from local car insurance companies. One of the best ways to find the lowest rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The recommended way to get quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This type of form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for every car insurance company. Just one form compares rates from multiple low-cost companies. This is by far the quickest method.
A different way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to each company’s website and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s assume you want to compare Auto-Owners, Liberty Mutual and Allstate. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to spend your day driving to local insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional guidance of a local agent. It is possible to compare online quotes but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

However you get your quotes, make sure you use the exact same information on every quote. If you compare higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to determine the lowest rate. Slightly different coverage limits may cause a big price difference. Keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps you find the best price.

Components of your insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Policy add-ons can waste money – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy on your car insurance policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.

Poor driving leads to higher costs – Just one citation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the Wisconsin DMV in order to continue driving.

Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a quick way to increase your car insurance rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.

Liability coverage protects you – Liability insurance is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Auto insurance companies do not list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

College Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
Accident Waiver – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of up to 25% or more.
Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Student Driver Training – Have your child complete a driver education course in school.

It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

Don’t listen to company ads

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings for Wisconsin drivers if you switch your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings. Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

What happened to insurance agents?

Some consumers would prefer to visit with an neighborhood insurance agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes to get your business. You won’t need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. You can find better rates AND still use a local Wisconsin insurance agent.

Compare but don’t skimp

You just learned a lot of ways to lower your rates. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies.

Lower priced car insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Wisconsin, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Independent agents can write coverage with small, regional companies that don’t always offer the ability to get a quote online.

Drivers switch companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, poor customer service, extreme rates for teen drivers or high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is easier than you think.

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website. Wisconsin consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and get help finding coverage. Additional helpful sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and a list of insurance agents in Wisconsin.