Is Your Stanley, ND Auto Insurance Too High? Here is How to Save Money

Have you had enough of being strong-armed to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in North Dakota. There is such a variety of auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s nice to have multiple companies, it can be more challenging to find the lowest cost provider.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings.

• Marriage pays dividends – Having a wife or husband can get you a discount on auto insurance. It translates into being more mature than a single person and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Optional equipment can affect rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
• Type of vehicle determines base rates – The type of car you own makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Low performance passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Drive less and save money – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle.
• Better credit means lower rates – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. So if your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your credit score. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit.
• Don’t skimp on liability – Liability coverage provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – The majority of auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to ensure the best deal.

Do you qualify for a discount?

Auto insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Driver’s Ed – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Club Memberships – Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.

Compare online but buy from a local Stanley agent

Certain consumers would rather sit down with an agent and that is OK! Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.

By using this short form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents in Stanley who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!

Deciding on an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• How often do they review policy coverages?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?

Compare rates from both independent and captive car insurance agents

When looking for local Stanley agents, you need to know there are two different agency structures to choose from. Agents can either be independent or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can impact your agent selection.

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents work for only one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Captive agencies are well schooled in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below are Stanley captive agencies that are able to give price quotes.

American Family Insurance – 109 S Main St – Stanley, ND 58784 – (701) 628-3909

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, you should always include at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.

The following are independent insurance agencies in Stanley willing to provide rate quotes.

Johnson Insurance Svc Inc – 5 1st Ave SE – Stanley, ND 58784 – (701) 628-3220
Reynolds Insurance – 115 S Main St – Stanley, ND 58784 – (701) 628-2775

To view a complete directory of Stanley insurance agents, simply jump to this page.

After getting positive responses and an acceptable price quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy.

Learn more today

More tips and info about auto insurance can be read at the North Dakota Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, view agent and company licensing information, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Other informative sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this resource to find Stanley, ND insurance agents.

Buy online or local, you save

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Lower-priced auto insurance is available on the web as well as from independent agents in Stanley, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. A few companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We’ve covered many ideas to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.