If shopping for car insurance online is new to you, you may be overwhelmed by the large number of companies selling insurance in Star.
Fast and Easy Star Car Insurance Quotes
Finding a better price on car insurance can be relatively painless. Consumers just need to take a few minutes to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
- The single most time-saving way to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests for each company. Just one form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.
- A less efficient way to shop for car insurance online requires a visit to each company’s website and fill out their own quote form. For instance, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, State Farm and GEICO. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Star, click here.
Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using apples-to-apples information on every quote you get. If you are comparing different liability limits then you won’t be able to find the best deal in Star.
Don’t miss these discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before you get the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
- No Charge for an Accident – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Student Driver Training – Have your child take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.
To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Idaho, click here to view.
Tips to Get Lower Star Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – Liability coverage provides coverage if ever you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Special features that cut premiums – Owning a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Tickets mean higher rates – Your driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Higher deductibles cost less – The deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Better credit means lower rates – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit. If your credit history is low, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- Where you live can impact rates – Choosing to live in a rural area can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate. Drivers in populated Idaho areas have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
- Men fork out a little more – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. They both have accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
- Occupation reflects on rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like judges, business owners and accountants have higher rates than average attributed to job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, jobs such as scientists, athletes and homemakers get better rates.
Drivers who switch save $439 a year? Really?
Idaho drivers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings by Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all make an identical promise that you can save if you change to their company.
How does each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can state the savings.
This illustrates why you should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Online plus local equals savings
People switch companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, delays in paying claims, high prices or even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right car insurance provider is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with an unexpected company.
Lower-priced car insurance is possible on the web and with local Star insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some car insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
More information about car insurance
Much more information about car insurance in Idaho is available on the Idaho Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, read industry bulletins, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
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