How to Cut Your Dodge Dakota Auto Insurance Rates

Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? You are no different than many other consumers.

Many insurance companies vie for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a company and get the definite lowest cost out there.

Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates tend to go up over time. Even if you think you had the best price for Dakota coverage last year you can probably find a lower rate today. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you some excellent ideas to reduce your auto insurance bill.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The best way to find the cheapest Dodge Dakota insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in several different ways.

One of the simplest ways to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. One quote request gets rate comparisons from multiple low-cost companies.

A more time consuming way to get quotes online is going to each individual company website and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from Auto-Owners, State Farm and GEICO. You would have to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.

The hardest way of comparing rate quotes to local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, compare the best prices online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples information with each company. If you have mixed coverages you can’t possibly find the best deal for your Dodge Dakota. Having just a slight variation in limits may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company’s prices helps you find lower pricing.

Do auto insurance companies bend the truth?

Auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you switch to them. How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can make those claims. auto insurance

Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Why your Dodge Dakota insurance rates may be high

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

Listed below are some of the items used by your company to calculate rates.

Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you. If your Dodge Dakota is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov you are probably receiving a discount.
Bad driving skills means higher rates – Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Only having one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who get dangerous violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
Older drivers save more – More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Young drivers have a tendency to be more careless when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
Do you have enough liability coverage? – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Men pay higher rates – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both have accidents in similar numbers, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Your location is important – Living in a rural area can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Drivers in populated areas have to deal with traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accidents.
Being married can save on auto insurance – Having a spouse can get you a discount on auto insurance. Marriage usually means you are more responsible and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
High credit ratings translate to low rates – Having a bad credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower ratings. So if your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your Dodge Dakota by repairing your credit.

Save big with these discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but a few need to be asked about before you will receive the discount.

Accident Free – Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up online.
Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for better auto insurance rates for Dakota coverage.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose providers who offer auto insurance discounts, follow this link.

What about my local agents?

Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting small agencies is important especially in small towns and cities.

After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

Types of car insurance agents

When looking for a local agent, there are two different types of agents that you can select. Agents are categorized either captive or independent.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, you should always contact several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

Captive Agents

Captive agencies can only write with one company such as Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are trained well on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

For a full directory of insurance agents, visit this site.

Selecting an insurance agency should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Do they assist clients in filing claims?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in your state?
Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?

Once you have received satisfactory answers as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that will insure your vehicles.

Online plus local equals savings

We just presented many ideas to compare Dodge Dakota insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.

Lower-priced Dodge Dakota insurance can be found both online in addition to many insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.