Learn How to Pay Less and Get More for Kearney Nebraska Auto Insurance

Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to cut your insurance bill.

Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

• Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
• Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
• 55 and Retired – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less compared to frequent claim filers.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

For a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Nebraska, click here to view.

Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

The list below includes some of the items that factor into rates.

• Discounts for multiple policies – Most companies provide better rates to people who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to shop around to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
• Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are many extra coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Things like roadside assistance, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
• A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a license revocation or jail time.You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Nebraska motor vehicle department.
• Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
• Careful drivers pay lower rates – Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Just one speeding ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who get dangerous violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Your age impacts your rates – Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers tend to get distracted easily when behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
• Big city or small town – Living in less populated areas has it’s advantages when it comes to auto insurance. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident. Urban drivers have to deal with congested traffic and a longer drive to work. More time on the road translates into higher accident risk.
• Having a spouse can save you money – Being married actually saves money on auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature than a single person and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?

Some consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, your information gets sent to participating agents in Kearney who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Selecting an insurance company requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
• Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
• How long has their agency been in business in Kearney?

If you prefer to view licensed agents in Kearney, please view this page.

After getting satisfactory answers to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an insurer that can provide auto insurance coverage.

Can switching companies really save?

Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you switch to them. How does each company say the same thing?

All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will have to pay a more expensive rate and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More detailed Nebraska auto insurance information can be found at the Nebraska Department of Insurance website. Nebraska consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and learn about specific coverages.

Other informative sites include this page for auto insurance in Nebraska and this link which helps you find a Kearney agent.

Keep this in mind

We covered a lot of information how to compare auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.

When you buy insurance online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.