How To Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance In Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the average car insurance premium is $1,040, which is 27 percent less than the national average. That’s a pretty good deal but the people of Wisconsin can do even better. There are ways to lower car insurance premiums. And we will get to those tips later on but first we will take a closer look at car insurance in Wisconsin.

State Minimum Liability Requirements

If you ever cause a car crash, liability insurance pays for other people’s injuries and property damage, up to your liability limit. Each state has minimum liability requirements for the drivers in their state.

In Wisconsin, the minimum liability requirements are $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident and $10,000 property damage liability coverage per accident. This minimum liability coverage costs around $405 per year.

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Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist coverage helps pay for damages caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance. In Wisconsin, the minimum requirements for uninsured motorist coverage are $25,000 bodily injury per person and $50,000 bodily injury per accident.

Wisconsin Is an At-Fault State

When it comes to insurance, Wisconsin is an at-fault state. This means Wisconsin drivers are responsible for any damage they cause to another vehicle. An insurance adjuster determines who is at fault in the accident.

A More Comprehensive Policy Costs More

In Wisconsin, a more comprehensive policy with collision insurance and comprehensive insurance and $1,000 deductibles would cost about $895 per year. Collision insurance is coverage that helps to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object such as a tree or a fence. Comprehensive insurance covers events that aren’t covered by collision coverage. These events include theft, fire and vandalism and damages from weather such as a hurricane, a tornado, a hailstorm and a windstorm. If you have a loan on your car, your lender may require that you carry both collision insurance and comprehensive insurance. A deductible is the amount you need to pay before your auto insurance company begins to pay for damages to your car or losses. Both collision insurance and comprehensive insurance require deductibles. Choosing a high deductible is one way to lower auto insurance premiums.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities

In Wisconsin, the city with the cheapest car insurance is Sheboygan. The city with the most expensive car insurance is Milwaukee.

Sheboygan is called the “Malibu of the Midwest” by its surfing crowd. Milwaukee is located on Lake Michigan’s western shore and is known for its breweries.

How to Save Money on Car Insurance

Ready to save money on car insurance? Here come the tips. Use as many as you can to lower your car insurance premium as low as it will go. Be a Married Motorist. If you are married you will pay less for car insurance. There is a correlation between being married and exhibiting safe driving behavior. Because of this, married motorists pay less for auto insurance than singles. In Wisconsin, married motorists save around $87 per year on car insurance.

Get Excellent Credit. Insurance companies use consumer credit data to assign risk pools and set insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit get the best car insurance rates. Drivers with no or poor credit pay much more for their car insurance. In Wisconsin, a driver with excellent credit saves about $982 per year on car insurance, compared with a driver with poor credit. Need to improve your credit? Get all past-due accounts current, pay down debt and avoid taking on new debt. Get in the habit of paying your credit bills on-time. This will help you build up a positive payment history, which is good for your credit score.

Be a Good Driver. If you are a safe and responsible driver who follows the rules of the road, you will save money on your car insurance. In Wisconsin, drivers without a recent moving violation save 19 percent on car insurance premiums. But if you break a few rules premiums go up. Car insurance premiums increase 38 percent after a DUI, 34 percent after an at-fault accident and 19 percent after a speeding ticket. What does that mean in dollars and cents? In Wisconsin, a first, minor, at-fault accident costs $533 per year. And a DUI increases yearly car insurance premiums by $629 on a first offense, more if it’s a repeat offense. So drive safely, follow the rules of the road and save money. If you’ve been a safe and responsible driver be sure to reach out to your auto insurance company about a good driver discount. You’ve earned it with your good driving behavior out on the road.

Grab a Multi-Car Discount. Got more than one car? Insure them with the same auto insurance company and save with a multi-car discount.

Bundle and Save. Bundle your auto insurance policy with another insurance policy such as a homeowners policy and save money.

Pay Once or Twice a Year. Rather than paying monthly auto insurance bills, pay the entire annual amount or six-months amount. Your premium is lower when you pay just once or twice a year.

Check Safety Features. Having certain anti-theft and safety features on your car will lower your car insurance premium. So check the features on your car with your car insurance company to see if you are due a discount.

Review Memberships. Members of some professional organizations and affiliates get discounts on their car insurance. So check your memberships and see if you are eligible for a discount.

Insure Less on Older Cars. The maximum payout for collision coverage and comprehensive coverage is limited by the value of the car. So if your older car has a low market value, it may not make financial sense to carry collision coverage and comprehensive coverage any longer.

Be a Lady Driver. Women make fewer accident claims than men and are rewarded with lower auto insurance rates. Men make more accident claims and pay more.

Reach Out for Discounts. The good driver discount already has been mentioned. There are discounts for veterans and students as well. So be sure to reach out if you qualify.

Stick With Coverage. You’ll pay higher insurance rates if you don’t maintain continuous coverage of your car insurance. So stick with your car insurance coverage and save money.

Keep Miles Low. If you are a heavy commuter and rack up the miles, you will pay more for your car insurance. If you are a low-mileage driver, you will pay less. So drive less and save money on your car insurance.

Age Matters. Drivers who are younger than 25 and older than 65 have more serious accidents and pay more for car insurance. Drivers of the ages in-between pay less.

Choose a High Deductible. As mentioned earlier, choosing a high deductible will save you money on your car insurance. Just be sure to put the deductible amount in a small emergency fund. This way the money will be there should you need to file an accident claim.

Choose a Safe Place to Live. If you live in a neighborhood with high accident claims and auto theft, you are going to pay more for your car insurance. If you live in a neighborhood with low accident claims and low crime, you are going to pay less for auto insurance. So choose a safe neighborhood and save money on your car insurance.

Own Your Home. Statistics show that people who own homes drive more safely. So let your insurance company know that you own your home and enjoy the savings on your auto insurance premium.

Shop Around. One of the best ways to save money on car insurance is to shop around. You will want to get insurance quotes from several different insurance companies. SmartFinancial makes this easy to do. Just input the type of insurance you are looking for and a zip code to get started. Next, answer a few, quick questions and you will be comparing auto insurance rates in Wisconsin in no time.

SmartFinancial has access to more than 200 insurance companies so you are bound to find the insurance coverage and price that you want. So shop smart for car insurance and drive safely along the roadways of Wisconsin.