Finding the cheapest insurance for a new or used Toyota Prius Prime in Wisconsin can turn out to be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips to make it easier.
There are both good and bad ways to buy auto insurance and we’ll show you the absolute fastest way to price shop coverage for a Toyota and locate the lowest possible price either online or from Milwaukee insurance agents.
A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that a large majority of auto insurance policyholders have remained with the same auto insurance company for four years or more, and about 40% of consumers have never shopped around. Milwaukee drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year, but most just don’t grasp the amount of money they would save if they switched to a cheaper policy.
How to Lower Your Insurance Rates
Many different elements are used when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but other criteria are not as apparent like your continuous coverage or your commute time. Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that may result in lower insurance prices.
The following are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.
Small claims can cost you – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in Wisconsin award lower rates to drivers who are claim-free. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.
Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability insurance is the protection if you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Better rates for no policy lapses – Letting your insurance expire can be a quick way to increase your renewal premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
Do you know you’re credit score? – A driver’s credit score will be a significant factor in determining what you pay for insurance. People with good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with bad credit. If your credit history is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your Toyota Prius Prime by taking the time to improve your credit score.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer price quotes in Wisconsin. If several companies are displayed, we recommend you get prices from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Truth in auto insurance advertising
Consumers in Wisconsin can’t escape the ads for cheaper auto insurance from the likes of 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing about savings just by moving to them.
How can each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the words they use.
Companies quote their best rates for the right customer that will add to their bottom line. For example, a profitable customer should be between the ages of 30 and 45, has a low-risk occupation, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that fits those parameters gets the lowest premium rates and have a good chance to save if they switch.
Potential customers who do not fit those standards must pay a more expensive rate with the end result being business going elsewhere. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save the amount stated. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings.
Because of these techniques, you need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s just not possible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Buying the right Prius Prime insurance in Wisconsin is an important decision
Despite the potentially high cost of Toyota Prius Prime insurance, buying insurance serves an important purpose.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires specific limits of liability protection if you want to drive legally. In Wisconsin these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Prius Prime with a loan, it’s most likely the lender will force you to have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Toyota for a lot more money and require you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Toyota Prius Prime but also your financial assets. It will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly for liability claims. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying over $820 a year so you should quote rates each time the policy renews to ensure rates are inline.
Milwaukee auto insurance discounts
Companies don’t always publicize every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known credits that may apply to you. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Payment Method – By making one initial payment instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Student in College – College-age children who live away from home at college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Early Signing – A few auto insurance companies give discounts for switching policies prior to the expiration date on your current Prius Prime insurance policy. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Federal government employees may reduce rates when you quote Milwaukee auto insurance depending on your auto insurance provider.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but a handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before they charge you more for coverage so long as you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of up to 25% or more.
One last thing about discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
A list of companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- State Farm has savings for good driver, safe vehicle, student away at school, multiple autos, passive restraint, defensive driving training, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- GEICO has discounts for defensive driver, seat belt use, federal employee, five-year accident-free, and membership and employees.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for new graduate, teen driver discount, multi-policy, safety features, and newly retired.
- The Hartford policyholders can earn discounts including driver training, anti-theft, good student, air bag, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.
- MetLife discounts include good student, accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, defensive driver
- Progressive offers discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and online quote discount.
If you need affordable Toyota Prius Prime insurance quotes, ask every company to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not apply in Milwaukee. To see a list of auto insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Milwaukee, follow this link.
Insurance agencies can help
Some consumers just prefer to buy from a licensed agent. Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that you can obtain lower prices and still buy from a local agent. Buying from local insurance agents is important especially in Milwaukee.
Once you complete this quick form, your information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent because prices are sent directly to you. If you have a need to get a price quote from a particular provider, just navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
When researching a local Milwaukee insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance policy providers can be classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both types can write insurance policies, but it’s good to learn how they differ because it may have an impact on your selection of an agent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If your premiums go up, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparing insurance prices, it’s a good idea to get insurance quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. Many can place coverage with mutual insurance companies which can save you money.
The following are Milwaukee independent insurance agencies who may be able to give you free rate quotes.
- See Insurance
4680 W Bradley Rd #203 – Milwaukee, WI 53223 – (414) 355-5433 – View Map - Schwade Insurance Agency, Inc.
8131 W Capitol Dr – Milwaukee, WI 53222 – (414) 462-5000 – View Map - Brew City Insurance
2937 S Chicago Ave – South Milwaukee, WI 53172 – (414) 762-6600 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive are contracted to one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on their company’s products and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Drivers often choose to use an exclusive agent mostly because of the brand rather than low price.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Milwaukee that are able to give comparison quotes.
- American Family Insurance – Lorene Hirsch Agency LLC
3927 S 76th St – Milwaukee, WI 53220 – (414) 329-3999 – View Map - Diana Kostal – State Farm Insurance Agent
1410 E Capitol Dr – Milwaukee, WI 53211 – (414) 964-8680 – View Map - American Family Insurance – Paul Rathkamp
11805 W Hampton Ave – Milwaukee, WI 53225 – (414) 438-1515 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agency requires more thought than just the price. These questions are important to ask:
- Does their agency support local causes in Milwaukee?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
Lower rates by being persistent
We’ve covered a lot of information how to compare Toyota Prius Prime insurance rates in Milwaukee. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the most savings is with the smaller companies.
As you quote Milwaukee auto insurance, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
People who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, policy non-renewal, delays in responding to claim requests and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company is easier than you think.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be read in these articles:
- Booster Seat Ratings (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Milwaukee Auto Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Single Moms in Milwaukee? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Uninsured Drivers in Milwaukee? (FAQ)
- No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Teen Driving Statistics (iihs.org)
- What is Covered by an Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)