Tag Archives: Iowa
How To Save Money And Get Discount Car Insurance In Iowa
How To Save Money And Get Discount Car Insurance In Iowa
There are just a small handful of states that do not require drivers to purchase car insurance and Iowa is one of those states. However, while Iowa may not require that you purchase car insurance, Iowa does require that you be able to prove financial responsibility in the event that you are involved in an accident.
In practice this is a fine line, and most Iowans choose the easy way out and purchase car insurance although there are several other, more torturous, methods of proving financial responsibility.
Also, if you finance an automobile then your lender will require that you purchase car insurance.
So in practice it is obvious that the majority of drivers are interesting in finding ways to save money and get discount car insurance here in Iowa.
Keeping your driving record clean is probably the single biggest thing you can do to keep your car insurance rates as low as possible. If you get a speeding ticket, a reckless driving citation, or any moving violation then you can count on your insurance premiums to begin climbing.
If you are convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or if you are convicted of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) then your rates will skyrocket.
If you have multiple tickets or convictions, or several accidents or recent insurance claims, you may find that most companies will simply refuse to insure you and you will be forced to get insurance from a high-risk insurer – with rates that will be through the roof.
The lesson here is to simply drive safely, responsibly and legally at all times.
If you’re under age 25 then you already know that your car insurance is expensive. You can lower your rates somewhat by staying in school and maintaining at least a “B” grade point average. Doing this will qualify you for a Good Student Discount which could save you about 5% on your car insurance premium.
Older drivers, those 55 and over, may be able to take a special driver’s refresher course. Not every insurance company offers such a course, but if your company does – and you pass it – you can often save 10% or even more on your monthly premium.
If you only drive occasionally you should check with your agent about a low-mileage discount.
If you drive an older vehicle that has little or no Kelly Blue Book value then you are probably throwing your money away if you purchase collision or comprehensive insurance since your insurance company will only give you Blue Book value for your vehicle in any case.
Before purchasing a vehicle you should talk to your agent about the cost of insurance for the particular model you have your eye on – some car makes and models are far more expensive to insure than others so you can save a great deal each month simply by choosing the proper vehicle to begin with.
Choosing the right deductible can also reduce your monthly car insurance premium. Consider your deductible carefully as you will be asked to pay your deductible out of your own pocket in case of a claim, but the higher your deductible the lower your monthly insurance premium.
Finally it’s time for you to go online and find at least 3 different websites that allow you to make head-to-head comparisons of different car insurance policies from different insurance companies. Don’t just make comparisons on one site and think that you have found the best discount policy available. Since no one site compares all insurance companies you will need to fill out the forms on at least 3 different websites and then compare everything before you know which company will give you the best policy at the deepest discount price.
How To Get Cheap Car Insurance Online In Iowa
How To Get Cheap Car Insurance Online In Iowa
There’s no trick to finding websites that will let you compare car insurance prices between several different insurance companies operating here in Iowa. But finding these sites is just one piece of the puzzle.
Before you waste your time making comparisons it would pay you to know what you are comparing. In other words, you need to take a few minutes to list all of the different ways you might be able to reduce the cost of your insurance before you actually start comparing prices.
So what can you do to lower the cost of your car insurance?
Well, there are actually several things you can do.
The biggest thing you can do is to simply drive legally and safely at all times. If you routinely speed or drive recklessly and you get a ticket, your car insurance premiums are going to go up – sometimes they can go up a lot, depending on your age and the severity of your infraction.
If you drive while intoxicated or otherwise impaired and you get caught, your car insurance premiums will jump 50% or more. If you receive a second DUI or a DWI conviction you’ll be lucky to find a high-risk policy that will even accept you – at a price that will, literally, make your head spin!
If you have other types of insurance, such as homeowner’s or health insurance from the same insurance company make certain that you are getting your Multiple-Policy Discount.
Do you drive an older car? Is your car so old that it is no longer listed in the Kelly Blue Book of car values? If your car has little or no Kelly Blue Book value then you are simply wasting your money if you are paying for collision or comprehensive coverage on your policy.
If you’re under 25 years of age then you are automatically put into a high-risk pool and your premiums are higher than they would be if you were over the age of 25. You can get at least a 5% discount on your rates if you stay in school, study hard, and maintain at least a “B” grade average so that you qualify for the Good Student Discount.
Is your car parked in a garage at night? If so you are entitled to a special discount on your insurance.
Do you only drive on occasion? If you put fewer than 500 miles on your car in an average month you should talk to your agent about getting a Low-Mileage Discount on your insurance.
Are you 55 or older? If so you could qualify to take a special driver’s refresher course. If your car insurance company offers this discount it could save you 10% or even 15% on your premium each and every month.
How big of a deductible can you afford? Be honest with yourself, because if you file a claim you’re going to have to come up with your deductible in cash before your insurance company will pay anything toward fixing your car. Just remember, the higher your deductible the lower your monthly premium payment will be.
O.K., now you’re ready to get online and start comparing prices for your policy at a variety of different insurance companies here in Iowa. Unfortunately since no one website compares all of the different insurance companies there are, it is up to you to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites.
By making multiple comparisons on different websites you’ll be more certain of finding the very best insurance for you at a price you can afford. It takes a little effort on your part, but the result is that you can rest easy now that you know how to get cheap car insurance online here in Iowa.
How To Get Cheap Health Insurance Online In Iowa
How To Get Cheap Health Insurance Online In Iowa
Health Insurance is expensive no matter where you live. Here in Iowa nearly 17% of all the state’s residents cannot afford health insurance of any kind. If your place of employment or an organization you belong to does not offer affordable group-rate health insurance then you have no choice but to look for cheap health insurance online.
The good new is that there are ways for you to bring down the cost of your health insurance.
Obviously there are dozens of websites that will let you quickly and easily compare costs for health insurance from different insurance companies, but before you jump on one of those sites you need to make sure you are structuring a policy that will let you get the cheap health insurance coverage that you want.
For example, you need to stop smoking and you need to stop using any tobacco products of any kind. If you want cheap health insurance this is just something you need to do. If you already have health insurance and you were a smoker when you first applied but have since quit, you need to tell your agent – because you could very well be in for a nice reduction in your monthly premiums.
Losing weight is even more difficult than quitting smoking – but if you are overweight you are going to pay more for your health insurance. If you can lose even a little weight you may find yourself in a lower-risk category and that could save you some real bucks each and every month.
Don’t participate in dangerous sports or hobbies. Extreme sports or hobbies may get your adrenalin pumping, but they also drive up the cost of your health insurance every single month.
Can you increase your co-pay? Most health insurance policies require you to make a co-pay any time you visit the doctor’s office or use most any health service. Many people have a 20% or 25% co-pay, meaning they pay up to 25% of the bill for a doctor’s visit in cash at the time of the visit.
If you can increase your co-pay to 50% you can save quite a bit on your health insurance premium each month. Obviously this works best for people who do not see their doctor on a regular basis, but it is something for everyone to keep in mind.
And that brings us to your deductible. How much can you afford to pay for your own health needs each year before you even ask your insurance company to help you out? Consider your answer carefully as this is money you will have to come up with each and every year – but the higher your health care deductible the lower your monthly health insurance premium will be.
If you still can’t afford health insurance but you have a home or a savings account or other assets that you need to protect from an unexpected medical emergency, then you may want to consider purchasing a super-high deductible health insurance policy.
A policy with a deductible of ,000 or more is very inexpensive. These policies are not designed to help you with your normal health costs each year (you’ll pay for your own doctor’s visits and even out-patient surgeries). What these policies are designed for is to protect your home and assets in the event that you should suffer a catastrophic accident or illness that puts you in the hospital with huge medical bills in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Now that you know how to design a health insurance policy that will save you the most possible each and every month it’s time to get online and start comparing prices for that policy at every insurance company that operates in the state of Iowa.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you only need to make comparisons on just one website. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Each website only compares a handful of the different insurance companies operating in Iowa. If you’re serious about getting cheap health insurance online then you’ll need to take the time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites.
Once you have done that then you can feel confident that the lowest price you have found really is the best price you’re going to get on cheap health insurance online in Iowa.
How To Get Low Rates On Automobile Insurance In Iowa
How To Get Low Rates On Automobile Insurance In Iowa
Did you know that if you have a spotless driving record and if you have sufficient financial resources to pay for medical expenses and property damage in the event of an accident that you do not have to purchase car insurance in Iowa?
But before you start driving in Iowa sans car insurance you need to keep in mind that having the financial resources to pay for an accident out of your own pocket may not be possible for most people. That’s why the majority of Iowans elect to purchase car insurance.
Also, if your car is being financed then your lender will require that you purchase car insurance.
So – regardless of the fact that Iowa technically does not require most of its drivers to carry car insurance, the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of drivers are still trying to get the best rates on car insurance in Iowa.
Luckily there are several options available to Iowa drivers that can help to keep the cost of their car insurance low.
One of the biggest determining factors for how much you’ll pay for car insurance is your own driving record. If you want to have and to keep the lowest car insurance rates possible then you must keep a clean driving record. No speeding or other moving violations. And definitely no convictions for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).
A DUI or DWI on your record will cause a serious jump in the cost of your car insurance, and a second conviction for either offense will send you scrambling for high-risk car insurance (if you can even get it) at a cost that will knock your socks off.
Drivers under 25 years of age are considered bad risks and their insurance is considerably more than what a good driver over 25 will pay. If possible younger drivers should stay in school and maintain at least a “B” grade point average. Doing so will earn them a 5% Good Student Discount on their car insurance premium every month.
Older drivers can apply to take a driver’s refresher course. Not every insurance company offers such a course, but if your company does, and you pass the course, you can save approximately 10% per month on your car insurance premium.
If you seldom drive your car you may qualify for a hefty Low-Mileage Discount on your monthly bill.
Do you drive an older model vehicle or a vehicle that has almost no value? Be aware that even if you are paying for collision and comprehensive coverage every month, if you are involved in an accident your insurance company won’t pay you any more than the Kelly Blue Book value of your car. Check with your agent to see if it is worth it to you to continue paying for comprehensive and collision insurance.
Consider increasing your deductible. This is not something you should do without giving it some serious thought since you will be forced to come up with the cash to pay for your deductible in the event of a claim before your insurance company will pay anything toward the repair or replacement of your vehicle. But the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly car insurance payment.
So now that you have a good idea of the steps you can take to lower your car insurance premiums it’s time to get online and find at least 3 different websites that allow you to compare the prices you’ll pay for car insurance from a variety of different companies.
If you’re truly serious about saving the most money possible and you really want to get the best rates on car insurance in Iowa, then you’ll need to take the extra time to make comparisons on at least 3 different websites. This way you can be certain that you are comparing prices from the largest number of insurance companies possible, and you can feel confident that you have found the best deal possible at the best price available.