Tested Strategies for Cheap Minot, ND Car Insurance

I can’t think of a single person who enjoys paying for car insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much.

There are many car insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to get the best deal.

You should take the time to shop coverage around at least once a year because prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best deal on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of wrong information about car insurance online, so I’m going to show you some guaranteed methods to reduce your car insurance bill.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Minot, ND

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The easiest way to find the lowest rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The easiest and least time consuming way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This type of form prevents you from having to do separate forms for each company. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes from multiple companies.
Another way to obtain and compare quotes online requires you to visit each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from USAA, Allstate and Travelers. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Minot, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the trained guidance only provided by licensed Minot agents. Drivers can price shop online but buy from a local insurance agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage limits for every company. If each company quotes differing limits it will be very difficult to find the best deal in Minot. Having just a slight variation in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices gives you a better chance of getting better pricing.

How your Minot rates are determined

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the factors that factor into rates.

Lower deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, vandalism, or theft. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
A clean driving record saves money – Even one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates than bad drivers. If you have serious violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
How many coverages with the same company – Many car insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal. You may still find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.
The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance level of the vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in the rate you pay. Economy passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Policy add-ons can waste money – There are a lot of additional coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and term life insurance may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
Your spouse saves you money – Being married helps lower the price on car insurance. It means you’re more responsible and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a sure-fire way to pay more for car insurance. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage will get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may have to file a SR-22 with the North Dakota department of motor vehicles.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings.

New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
E-sign – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application digitally online.
Good Student – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
Life Insurance Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in North Dakota, click this link.

It’s not one size fits all

When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions may help you determine if your situation could use an agent’s help. Minot North Dakota insurance ad

Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
Should I buy only the required North Dakota minimum liability coverage?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Do I need higher deductibles?
Is North Dakota a no-fault state?
Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Comparing rates from local agents

Some consumers just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

By using this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Minot who will battle for your insurance coverage. You never need to even leave your home as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! It’s the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Deciding on an insurer shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:

Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?

What types of insurance agents are in Minot?

When researching a local agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies that you can select. Minot agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.

Agency Captives

This type of agents work for only one company such as American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agencies receive extensive training in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

The following are Minot captive agents willing to provide price quote information.

State Farm Insurance – 103 14th Ave SW – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 839-3436
Allstate Insurance Co – 1317 S Broadway – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 838-2100
American Family Insurance – 1809 S Broadway # X – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 852-5940
Farmers Insurance Group – 811 S Broadway – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 852-4434

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.

Below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Minot who can help you get rate quotes.

Western Agency – 408 20th Ave SW # 101 – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 463-2253
National Marketing Insurance – 617 N Broadway – Minot, ND 58703 – (701) 839-5451
Western Agency Group – 408 20th Ave SW # 101 – Minot, ND 58701 – (701) 852-5383
Triplett Insurance – 124 8th Ave NW – Minot, ND 58703 – (701) 839-3220

To view a full list of insurance agents in Minot, please view this page.

After getting reasonable responses to these questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

Keep this in mind

The cheapest car insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to many Minot insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

We just showed you some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the best prices are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.