Learn How to Pay Less and Get More for Oakdale Car Insurance

I can’t think of anyone who likes paying for car insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high.

Many insurance companies compete for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers to find the absolute best price available.

Buy Cheaper Car Insurance with These Tips

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better car insurance rates.

The following are some of the factors used by your company to calculate premiums.

• Is your vehicle built for speed? – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for small economy passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• More miles equals more premium – Driving more miles every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – The majority of insurers provide better rates to people who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
• More people means more accidents – Living in small towns and rural areas can save you money when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people means fewer accidents. Urban drivers have to deal with traffic congestion and a longer drive to work. More time on the road translates into higher accident risk.
• Low deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be collision with another vehicle, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less your car insurance will be.
• Never go without insurance – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a sure-fire way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may have to file a SR-22 with the Minnesota motor vehicle department.

How to Compare Oakdale Car Insurance Rates

Most companies allow you to get pricing on the web. Obtaining pricing is fairly simple as you just enter into a form. When complete, their rating system pulls your credit score and driving record and provides a quote. Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for lower prices.

The easiest way to find cheaper rates uses one simple form that gets price quotes from several companies at one time. This type of form saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you can choose any one of the price quotes you receive.

If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

If you want to get comparison pricing now, click here and enter your information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you input the coverages identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will have a price comparison using the exact same coverages.

Beware of misleading car insurance ads

Companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy. How does each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a profitable customer might be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A driver who matches those parameters will get very good rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

This illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Take discounts and save

Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but less common discounts must be inquired about before being credited.

• Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
• No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents pay less compared to bad drivers.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
• One Accident Forgiven – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
• College Student – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
• Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
• Organization Discounts – Belonging to a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your policy.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.

Neighborhood agents for car insurance

A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and that is just fine! One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is you may find the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local agencies is especially important in Oakdale.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your coverage information is instantly submitted to agents in your area who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier! You’ll get the best rates and work with a local agent.

Two different types of auto insurance agents

When looking for a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Oakdale agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.

When shopping rates, you should always contact at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.

Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Oakdale that are able to give competitive price quotes.

Minnesota Ins/Dormody Agency – 6083 12th St N – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 731-5358
Russ Kiekhoefer Agency – 1397 Geneva Ave N # 101 – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 730-9599
Brucker and Kortuem Insurance – 6060 50th St N # 3 – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 770-1661
Ron Fraley Agency – 7200 Hudson Blvd N – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 714-7963
James Trevis Insurance – 1352 Helmo Ave N – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 739-6030

Captive Agents

This type of agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so they have to upsell other benefits. They are well schooled in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Below is a list of captive insurance agencies in Oakdale that can give you comparison quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 600 Inwood Ave N – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 209-8800
State Farm Insurance – 7475 15th St N # 100 – Oakdale, MN 55128 – (651) 739-7272

To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Oakdale, please go to this site.

Choosing an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Minnesota?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?

Upon getting reasonable responses to these questions as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can provide car insurance coverage.

Additional car insurance information is located on the website for the Minnesota Department of Commerce through this link. Visitors are able to download brochures, learn about specific coverages, and report car insurance fraud.

Shop smart and save

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.

Cheaper car insurance is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Oakdale agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.