Is Your Lisbon, ND Car Insurance Leaving a Hole in Your Pocket?

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of car insurance choices in Lisbon? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many choices that it can be a challenge to find the perfect company for you.

It’s smart to compare rates periodically since rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the lowest rates a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the proper way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. The purpose of this post is to introduce you to how to effectively get price quotes. Nevertheless, North Dakota vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how insurance companies market on the web.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not list all their discounts very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving.

Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less compared to accident-prone drivers.
Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Accident Waiver – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching policies before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.

How to Compare Lisbon Car Insurance Costs

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from local in Lisbon, NDcar insurance companies. The easiest way by far to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

One of the simplest ways to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing separate quotes for every car insurance company. A single, simple form compares rates from multiple companies. Just one form and you’re done.
A more time consuming way to analyze rates requires a visit to each company’s website and complete a new quote form. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare Nationwide, Progressive and GMAC. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Lisbon, click here.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each price quote. If you are comparing different values for each quote it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Lisbon. Slightly different coverage limits may result in a large different in cost. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes will enable you to find the best price.

Factors that affect insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.

Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate your rates.

Protect yourself with liability coverage – Liability insurance provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Battle of the sexes – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
Do you need those extra coverages? – There are quite a few additional coverages that can waste your money on your policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
How’s your driving record? – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Even a single citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. If you have dangerous violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.

How can State Farm, GEICO and Progressive save drivers who switch?

Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you move your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile will be charged higher prices which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully state the savings. That is why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Keep this in mind

People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, policy non-renewal, unfair underwriting practices and even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

As you restructure your insurance plan, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Affordable car insurance is available both online as well as from independent agents in Lisbon, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

Some additional reading

More tips and info about car insurance is available at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.