Car Insurance in South Sioux City – 6 Ways to Cut Costs

Nobody I know cherishes buying car insurance, especially when they are paying too much. There is such a variety of car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to locate the cheapest rates.

It’s a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you got the lowest rates a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the proper way to buy cheaper car insurance.

Don’t miss these six discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both the well known and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

• Resident Student – Any of your kids living away from home attending college and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
• One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
• Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
• Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on their website.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Nebraska, click here to view.

But buying car insurance online seems impersonal

Certain consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent. Licensed agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local.

Once you complete this quick form, the quote information is emailed to agents in your area who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

Choosing an insurance company should depend on more than just the premium amount. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
• Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?

Captive and independent South Sioux City car insurance agents

If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agents can either be independent or captive. Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ since it can impact the selection process.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only write with one company like Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. They receive extensive training in insurance sales which can be an advantage.

The following are South Sioux City captive agencies that can give you rate quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 100 W 29th St # 216 – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-1949
American Family Insurance – 125 E 19th St – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-2149
Farm Bureau Insurance – 913 W 21st St – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-3972

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

Below are independent insurance agents in South Sioux City that are able to give rate quotes.

Ray Reifenrath Insurance – 116 Broadmoor Dr – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-7088
Jerry Beacom Agency – 1800 Dakota Ave # C – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-5136
Diversified Insurance – 2700 Dakota Ave – South Sioux City, NE 68776 – (402) 494-4633

For a full directory of car insurance agents in South Sioux City, simply jump to this page.

After getting good answers for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.

Beware of misleading car insurance ads

Consumers in Nebraska can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim that you’ll save big if you switch your policy.

How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer might be profiled as a mature driver, owns a home, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who do not match the “perfect” profile will be charged higher premiums and this can result in business not being written. The ads say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. That is why drivers should compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Auto insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for prosthetic devices, doctor visits and hospital visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Collision coverage protection

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with a tree, sideswiping another vehicle, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding and a broken windshield. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability

This coverage protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that translate to a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things like attorney fees, emergency aid and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Nebraska state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (Nebraska limits are 25/50/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

More detailed Nebraska car insurance information can be found at the Nebraska Department of Insurance website. Nebraska consumers can learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and discover disciplinary actions.

Buy online or local, you save

We just showed you some good ideas how you can reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, 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. Regional companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.