Auto Insurance in Elko – 5 Ways to Lower Rates

Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are a lot of people in Elko just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Many insurance companies vie for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company to find the absolute lowest rate possible.

It’s a good habit to compare rates periodically due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price six months ago a different company probably has better rates today. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some good information on how to stop overpaying for insurance.

Cut your auto insurance rates with these 5 discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but some must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Organization Discounts – Being a member of a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
• Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
• Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.
• Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Nevada, click here.

How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Elko, Nevada

All major auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive give insurance quotes on the web. Getting quotes is fairly straightforward as you just type in your coverage preferences as requested by the quote form. Behind the scenes, their system obtains information on your driving record and credit history and gives you a price quote based on many factors. Online price quotes helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and type in the same information can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it’s very important to get many rate quotes in order to get the best price possible.

An easier way to find lower prices requires only one form to get prices from several companies at one time. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes quoting online much simpler. Immediately after submitting the form, it is quoted and you are able to buy your choice of the quotes that you receive.

If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To quickly find out how much you can save on auto insurance, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you input deductibles and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This helps ensure you’re receiving an apples-to-apples comparison based on similar coverages.

Neighborhood agents for auto insurance

Some people would prefer to talk to a local agent. Good agents can help determine the best coverages and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local insurance agencies is especially important in Elko.

By using this short form, your information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy!

What types of insurance agents are in Elko?

If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Elko are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the differences because it can impact your agent selection.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from.

Shown below are independent insurance agents in Elko that are able to give price quote information.

Worline Agency Inc – 501 Oak St – Elko, NV 89801 – (775) 738-8079
Adobe Insurance – 554 S 5th St – Elko, NV 89801 – (775) 777-1133
Mc Mullen Insurance – 429 Court St # 1 – Elko, NV 89801 – (775) 738-7278

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents write business for a single company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. They receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

The following are Elko captive agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.

Liberty Mutual Insurance – 225 Silver St # 103 – Elko, NV 89801 – (775) 777-3700
State Farm Insurance – 557 W Silver St # 204 – Elko, NV 89801 – (775) 753-7897

For a full directory of Elko captive insurance agencies, simply jump to this page.

Selecting an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• How often do they review policy coverages?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• Who are their largest clients?
• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?

Upon getting positive feedback to your questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy.

Auto insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the normal coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Liability – Liability insurance protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as legal defense fees, funeral expenses, medical services and pain and suffering. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Nevada state law requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/10 in Nevada), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision coverage – This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things like colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive insurance – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like theft, fire damage, damage from getting keyed, hitting a bird and damage from flooding. The maximum amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for prosthetic devices, funeral costs, dental work and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

A little work can save a LOT of money

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Elko insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with the smaller companies. They may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.

To learn more about auto insurance in Nevada

More information can be found on the website for the Nevada Division of Insurance. Click here for link. Nevada consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, get help finding coverage, and read state legal mandates and laws.