Costing Too Much for Car Insurance in Rochester? Here’s How to Save!

Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are many Rochester consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance. Lots of insurers contend for your insurance dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the definite best rate

Consumers should take time to check car insurance prices quite often since insurance rates tend to go up over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to find out how to quote online to find better coverage at a better price.

If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you can use these tips to cut your premiums while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Rochester is not that difficult. Minnesota consumers only need to know the proper way to compare price quotes online.

Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Rochester, MN

All major car insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate quote prices on their websites. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you just enter the coverages you want as detailed in the form. After you submit the form their system requests reports for credit and driving violations and generates a price. Quoting online simplifies rate comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it is imperative to get many rate quotes if you are searching for the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

There is a better way!

The smarter way to compare rates requires only one form to get prices from a bunch of companies at once. This type of form saves time, reduces the work, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable. Immediately after you send the form, it is rated and you can choose any or none of the quote results.

If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase coverage. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.

To save time and find out how much you can save on car insurance, click here to open in new window and fill out the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you enter identical to your current policy. This ensures you will be getting a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.

Components of your insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

• Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• High numbers of claims are not good – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Insurance companies in Minnesota give cheaper rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Bump up deductibles to save – The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
• A clean driving record saves money – Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Only having one speeding ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who get serious violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
• High performance equals high price – The make and model of the car you own makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Men fork out a little more – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. They both are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – Most insurers will give a discount to policyholders who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even with this discount, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
• Your spouse saves you money – Being married helps lower the price on car insurance. It translates into being more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Discounts are available to cut your rates

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you don’t get every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
• Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
• Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
• Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
• Sign Early and Save – Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
• No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts when compared to drivers who are more careless.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.

To choose insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Rochester, follow this link.

Online quotes with a local Rochester insurance agent

Some people prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local agencies is important especially in Rochester.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the quote information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will battle for your business. You won’t need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

Types of insurance agencies in Rochester

When finding a local agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies to choose from. Insurance agencies in Rochester are classified as either independent or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the differences because it can influence the selection process.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.

When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Rochester who may be able to give you competitive price quotes.

Larry Flicek Insurance – 1530 Greenview Dr SW # 203 – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 288-5052
HEARTMAN Insurance – 1635 Greenview Dr SW – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 288-3834
Jon De Kok Agency – 2311 Highway 52 N # A – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 285-9927
Curt Sorenson Agency – 1816 2nd St SW # A – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 281-0435
John W Pagelkopf Agency – 1500 1st Ave NE # 216 – Rochester, MN 55906 – (507) 289-7877

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents write business for a single company like AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell which can be an advantage.

Shown below are captive insurance agencies in Rochester willing to provide price quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 3510 8th St NW – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 288-4124
Allstate Insurance – 1652 Greenview Dr SW # 220 – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 285-5758
Farm Bureau Financial Svc – 1820 2nd St SW – Rochester, MN 55902 – (507) 288-0850
American Family Insurance – 2746 Superior Dr NW # 150 – Rochester, MN 55901 – (507) 292-5720
Farmers Insurance Group – 401 16th St SE # 401 – Rochester, MN 55904 – (507) 288-3179

For a complete listing of Rochester captive insurance agents, click here to link.

Deciding on an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Who are their largest clients?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?

Once you have positive responses to your questions and locked in a price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that can adequately provide car insurance.

Summing up your car insurance search

We just presented many tips how you can shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from the least-expected company. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.

When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced full coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.

Much more information about car insurance in Minnesota can be found on the website for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Click here for link. Minnesota consumers can find disaster information, read state legal mandates and laws, and read industry bulletins.