Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Mountain Home Idaho? Here’s How to Save!

Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can drain your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill.

With consumers having so many insurance providers from which to choose, it can be hard to choose the most affordable car insurance company.

It’s a good idea to compare rates at least once a year because prices change quite often. Even if you think you had the best deal last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Don’t believe everything you read about auto insurance online, so we’re going to give you a bunch of ideas how to save money.

Finding affordable coverage in Mountain Home is quite easy. Essentially everyone who buys auto insurance most likely will be able to find better rates. But Idaho car owners can benefit by having an understanding of the methods companies use to market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.

Compare Mountain Home Auto Insurance Costs

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The best method to find competitive insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

1. Probably the best way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for each company. A single, simple form will get you price quotes from many national carriers.
2. A less efficient way to analyze rates is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare USAA, Farmers and State Farm. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

   For a list of links to insurance companies in Mountain Home, click here.

3. The hardest way to compare rates is driving to different Mountain Home agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the professional guidance of a local Mountain Home agent. However, consumers can get 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 double check that you are using exactly the same information for every company. If you compare mixed coverages then you won’t be able to determine the best price in Mountain Home. Quoting even small variations in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding lower pricing.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim about savings after switching to their company. How can each company claim to save you money?

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who don’t measure up to the requirements must pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can claim big savings. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Auto insurance companies don’t list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance.

• Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
• Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few auto insurance companies.
• 55 and Retired – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Mountain Home, click here to view.

Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent

Some people would rather buy from a local agent and that is just fine! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance data is sent to local insurance agents in Mountain Home who will battle for your business. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Selecting an provider shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• How are claims handled?
• What insurance companies do they work with?
• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
• Are they full-time agents?

Captive and independent Mountain Home insurance agencies

When searching for a local agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents to choose from. Mountain Home agents are either independent or captive.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents write business for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are well schooled in insurance sales which can be an advantage.

Listed below are Mountain Home captive agencies who may provide you with price quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 110 Rattlesnake Ave # A – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-9096
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2165 W 6th S # 2 – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-8484
Allstate Insurance Herron Agcy – 365b N 3rd E – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-7431
State Farm Insurance – 218 N 2nd E – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-9006

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When searching for an agent, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.

The following is a list of independent agencies in Mountain Home who can help you get comparison quotes.

Jim Sanders Agency – 230 American Legion Blvd – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-3387
Pioneer Insurance – 210 S 3rd E – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 580-1300
Still and Leavitt Insurance Inc – 160 N 2nd E – Mountain Home, ID 83647 – (208) 587-3146

To view a full list of auto insurance agents in Mountain Home, visit this site.

After getting positive feedback to your questions as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance.

Even more information is available at the Idaho Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

More effort can pay off

Affordable auto insurance can be bought online in addition to many Mountain Home insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.