7 Money Saving Ideas Shown to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Oakes

Overpriced car insurance can drain your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to lower your monthly bill.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the flashy ads and do the work needed to find the best deal.

How to Get Cheap Car Insurance in Oakes, ND

The are a couple different ways to compare quotes from different in Oakes, NDinsurance companies. The quickest method to find competitive insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do separate forms for every car insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will return price quotes instantly.
A less efficient way to get quotes online is to manually visit each company website and request a quote. For instance, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Allstate, GEICO and GMAC. To find out each rate you need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Oakes, click here.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles for every quote you compare. If you use differing limits it’s impossible to determine the lowest rate in Oakes. Just a small difference in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding the best price.

Advertising myths

Car insurance providers like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. They all make the same claim that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How do they all make the same claim?

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who don’t meet the requirements must pay higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. This illustrates why it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Companies that sell car insurance don’t list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy life insurance.
Defensive Driver – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.

For a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in Oakes, follow this link.

Situations that might require an agent

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from professional advice.

Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
Do no-fault laws apply in North Dakota?
Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Additional detailed information can be found at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, read state legal mandates and laws, and find a variety of consumer forms.

Coverage specifics

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Comprehensive auto coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, hail damage and hitting a bird. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Since many North Dakota drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 25/50/25), their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Collision coverages – This will pay to fix damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Coverage for liability – This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as medical expenses, emergency aid, funeral expenses and pain and suffering. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy as much as you can afford. North Dakota requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills for things like funeral costs, nursing services and dental work. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

More quotes mean more savings

Cheap car insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Oakes insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

You just read many ways to lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Some small companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.