Tightwads Instructions on Saving on Aberdeen South Dakota Auto Insurance

If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, it’s easy to get confused by the hoards of online companies offering insurance in Aberdeen.

Buying car insurance in Aberdeen is quite easy. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Nevertheless, South Dakota consumers should learn the methods companies use to sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.

• Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a qualifying organization could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
• Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accident claims.
• Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down can earn a substantially lower rate.
• Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To see a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in South Dakota, click this link.

Save Money with These Tips

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

The list below includes some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

• Bad driving skills means higher rates – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Only having one citation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
• Performance influences rates – The performance of the car you drive makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Small economy passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Where you reside plays a part – Residing in less populated areas can be a good thing when talking about auto insurance. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate. City drivers have much more traffic to deal with and longer commutes to work. More time commuting can result in more accidents.
• Being married can save on auto insurance – Being married can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Small claims can cost you – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in South Dakota award discounts to policyholders who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Clean credit earns discounts – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with lower ratings. If your credit score is low, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you change to their company. How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who don’t measure up to these standards will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can claim big savings. That is why it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

For more information

More detailed South Dakota auto insurance information is available at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Smart shoppers get results

We covered some good ideas how to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies.

People who switch companies do it for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, not issuing a premium refund, denial of a claim or extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching auto insurance companies can be less work than you think.

When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.