Shopping online for Hayden car insurance might seem complicated at first if you’ve never compared online price comparisons. But don’t be discouraged because we’re going to show you how.
Consumers need to take a look at other company’s rates every six months because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best rates a couple years back you can probably find a better price now. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest way to save on car insurance.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Car insurance companies don’t list every discount very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
- Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
- Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get better car insurance rates.
- One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of certain professional organizations may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.
For a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Idaho, follow this link.
Free Quotes for Car Insurance in Hayden, ID
Finding a better price on car insurance can be relatively painless. All you need to do is take time comparing rate quotes from different insurance companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverages with every price quote. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Hayden.
Smart Consumers Save More
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Is your vehicle built for speed? – The type of vehicle you are insuring makes a significant difference in your rates. Low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Younger drivers pay higher rates – Teenage drivers in Idaho tend to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Having to add a teenage driver to your car insurance policy can be quite pricey. Older drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
- High crash test scores lower rates – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you will pay for car insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Vehicles that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
- Battle of the sexes – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Men and women tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
- Discounts for married couples – Having a spouse actually saves money on car insurance. Marriage usually means you are more mature and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Careers like lawyers, social workers and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like farmers, students and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Even one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Careful drivers receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Tailor your coverage to you
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique.
For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you will benefit from professional help.
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
- Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Shop smart and save
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
You just learned a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the most savings is with the smaller companies.
Affordable car insurance can be found both online and with local Hayden insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Learn more today
Additional detailed information can be found at the Idaho Department of Insurance website. Idaho drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.