Marion Car Insurance Savings the Big Companies Don’t Want You to Know About

No one enjoys paying for car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much. Popular companies such as State Farm and GEICO continually hit you with ads and it is difficult to ignore the propoganda and find the best price available.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can use these tips to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Marion is not that difficult. Iowa drivers only need to know how to shop for car insurance on the web.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
• Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
• Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
• Club Memberships – Affiliation with a qualifying organization could trigger savings on your policy.
• Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
• Senior Discount – Mature drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

To choose providers offering car insurance discounts in Marion, click here to view.

Make smart decisions and save

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

The following are some of the items used by your company to calculate prices.

• Do you know you’re credit rating? – Your credit score is a big factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
• More performance means more cost – The type of car you are insuring makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for economy passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Both sexes are in accidents at about the same rate, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
• Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a ton of additional coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Insurance for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and membership fees are some examples. These coverages may sound good at first, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Never go without insurance – Driving without insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Iowa motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
• Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your car insurance policy. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Optional equipment can affect rates – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.
• Older drivers save more – Youthful drivers in Iowa are known to get distracted easily behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Adding a youthful driver onto your car insurance can really hurt. Older drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.

Local Marion agents and car insurance

Certain consumers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates but also keep your business local.

To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Marion who will compete to get your business. There is no reason to leave your house since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. How cool is that?!

Selecting an insurance company requires more thought than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Iowa?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• How often do they review policy coverages?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?

Independent or Captive: It’s your choice

When searching for a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Marion are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive. Both write coverage properly, but it’s important to know the differences because it can influence your selection of an agent.

Agency Captives

Captive agents are contracted to one company such as 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. Captives are trained well in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.

Shown below is a list of captive agencies in Marion who may provide you with price quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 630 10th St – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 377-7885
Shelter Insurance – 147 Marion Blvd – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 373-5570
American Family Insurance – 292 7th Ave – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 377-1612
State Farm Insurance – 2840 7th Ave # 3 – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 373-6730

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part. When comparison shopping, you should always contact multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Listed below are independent agents in Marion that can give you comparison quotes.

John Gagnon Agency – 755 22nd St – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 377-7979
Bouslog Insurance Corp – 360 7th Ave – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 377-7321
Rick Hintgen Insurance – 5340 N Park Pl NE – Marion, IA 52302 – (319) 377-8282

To view a full list of car insurance agents in Marion, please view this page.

Upon receiving satisfactory answers to your questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Iowa consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm and Allstate. All the companies make an identical promise about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns a home, and has great credit. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who fall outside this ideal profile will be quoted a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can claim big savings. This emphasizes why it is so important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Some additional reading

Even more information is available at the Iowa Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Marion

• Basics to Finding the Best Insurance Agent in Marion

One last thing

As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate.

Low-cost car insurance can be bought from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Marion agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.