Auto Insurance in Belle Fourche – 9 Discounts You May be Unaware of

Are you tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to insure your vehicles every month? You are no different than the majority of other car owners in South Dakota.

You have multiple insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, it makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

It’s important to do rate comparisons before your policy renews since insurance rates tend to go up over time. Just because you found the best rates last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the best methods to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

Buying car insurance in Belle Fourche is not that difficult. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. But South Dakota drivers do need to know how insurance companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

Compare Auto Insurance Today

There are several ways to shop for auto insurance, and some are less time-consuming than others. You could spend the better part of a day talking to local insurance agents in Belle Fourche, or you can utilize the web to achieve your goal.

Many of the larger companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and each participating company provides a quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to every company.

To participate in this free quote system, click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to choose individual companies for rate comparison, we have a page of auto insurance companies in South Dakota. Click here to view list.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverage information for every company. If you enter different deductibles you will not be able to make a fair comparison in Belle Fourche. Quoting even small variations in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that getting more free quotes helps you find better pricing.

These nine discounts can lower your rates

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize every available discount very well, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.

• Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
• Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Braking Control Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
• Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

For a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Belle Fourche, click here.

Can’t I compare rates from local Belle Fourche agents?

Some people would rather buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local.

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your coverage information is sent to participating agents in Belle Fourche who will battle for your coverage. You never need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! It’s the lowest rates AND a local agent.

Choosing an insurer shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?

The following is a list of insurance companies in Belle Fourche willing to provide price quotes.

Becky Gropper Insurance – 2398 5th Avenue Ste. 105, Belle Fourche, SD 57717 – (605) 723-2481
Farm Bureau Insurance – 622 State St, Belle Fourche, SD 57717 – (605) 892-2120
Farmers Insurance Group – 506 1/2 State St, Belle Fourche, SD 57717 – (605) 723-2046
Farm Bureau Insurance – 622 State St, Belle Fourche, SD 57717 – (605) 892-2120

After getting acceptable answers to these questions and a low price estimate, you may have just found an insurance company that will properly insure your vehicles.

Even more information is available at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota consumers can find disaster information, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, and view a list of available companies.

Specific coverage details

Knowing the specifics of your policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as rock chips in glass, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from flooding. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability coverages

Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.

Liability coverage pays for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, emergency aid, medical services and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. South Dakota state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry higher limits.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses like chiropractic care, pain medications, doctor visits and dental work. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many South Dakota drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (South Dakota limits are 25/50/25), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Collision insurance

Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against things like driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Online plus local equals savings

Cheaper auto insurance is available both online and with local Belle Fourche insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

You just read some good ideas how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.