It goes without saying that car insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. Drivers who shop around annually will, in all likelihood, switch to a new company because there is a good probability of finding a lower rate. A study showed that consumers who compared rate quotes regularly saved as much as $72 a month compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding the best rates on insurance in Madison is why you’re reading this, then having some knowledge of how to shop and compare auto insurance can make it easier to find better rates.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find better pricing on Lincoln LS insurance is to regularly compare quotes from providers in Madison.
Step 1: Try to learn a little about car insurance and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many factors that result in higher prices such as accidents, traffic tickets, and an imperfect credit history can be controlled by paying attention to minor details.
Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple insurance companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to your existing coverage and see if there is a cheaper rate in Madison. If you can save money and switch companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
A good tip to remember is to use identical limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to look at as many companies as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
If you have a policy now or just want cheaper coverage, you can use these tips to find better prices without reducing protection. Buying affordable auto insurance in Madison is not that difficult. You only need an understanding of the quickest way to find the lowest price instantly.
Cheapest auto insurance in Madison, WI
The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in Wisconsin. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get rates from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Car insurance quotes and discounts
Some insurers don’t always list all discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Madison auto insurance online.
- College Student Discount – College-age children who are attending college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
- ABS Braking Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment instead of paying each month you can avoid the installment charge.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking time to complete a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
- First Accident Forgiveness – This one isn’t a discount, but certain companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before they charge you more for coverage if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Employee of Federal Government – Having worked for a branch of the government could qualify for a slight premium decrease with a few car insurance companies.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all insurance carriers offer life insurance, but some may give you a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Accident-free drivers may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accident claims.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Having several vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
You should keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will lower your premiums.
A few popular companies and the discounts they provide are:
- Travelers may offer discounts for multi-car, early quote, multi-policy, save driver, student away at school, home ownership, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
- 21st Century has savings for automatic seat belts, driver training, defensive driver, teen driver, and good student.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, driver’s education, safe vehicle, good student, and defensive driving training.
- GEICO offers discounts including driver training, anti-lock brakes, military active duty, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO includes discounts for safe driver, drive less, teen safe driver, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, and anti-theft.
- AAA discounts include multi-policy, good student, pay-in-full, anti-theft, multi-car, good driver, and education and occupation.
If you are trying to find affordable Lincoln LS insurance quotes, ask each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in Madison. To see a list of insurance companies with discount rates in Madison, click here.
Get rate quotes but buy from a neighborhood Madison auto insurance agent
Certain consumers still like to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Most agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. One of the benefits of comparing auto insurance online is you can get cheap auto insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
After completing this short form, your insurance data is immediately sent to insurance agents in Madison that can provide free Madison auto insurance quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You never need to do any legwork because prices are sent immediately to you. If you wish to quote rates from a particular provider, you can always visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
Picking the best insurer is decision based upon more than just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:
- Does the company have a local claim office in Madison?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Madison?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Madison?
After you get positive feedback to any questions you have and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an provider that meets the requirements to adequately provide auto insurance. But keep in mind it’s your coverage and you can cancel your coverage for any reason so don’t assume you are locked into the auto insurance policy for the full term.
Coverages available on your policy
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Lincoln LS.
Since many Wisconsin drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Wisconsin limits are 25/50/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
Comprehensive car insurance – This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, damage from flooding and theft. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Liability car insurance – This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 25/50/10 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $10,000.
Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, attorney fees, loss of income, structural damage and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Wisconsin requires drivers to carry at least 25/50/10 but drivers should carry higher limits.
The illustration below demonstrates why the minimum limit may not be adequate coverage.
Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your LS resulting from a collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your LS to save money on collision insurance.
Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses such as pain medications, funeral costs, dental work and hospital visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
What is the best car insurance company in Madison?
Insuring your vehicle with a high-quality insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies there are to choose from in Wisconsin. The information shown next may help you pick which auto insurers to look at comparing rates with.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 90 | 90 | 84 | 85% | A+ | 89.1 |
| Progressive | 83 | 85 | 99 | 87% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
| The Hartford | 87 | 89 | 84 | 87% | A+ | 88 |
| Esurance | 84 | 88 | 85 | 83% | A+ | 86 |
| Farmers Insurance | 79 | 88 | 84 | 87% | A | 84.7 |
| The General | 88 | 80 | 85 | 80% | A- | 84.5 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Keep this in mind when shopping around
When searching for the cheapest Lincoln LS rate quotes, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost.
Some insurance companies may not provide online rate quotes and these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through independent agents. Cheaper insurance in Madison is definitely available from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
Additional information can be read on the following sites:
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Madison Auto Insurance for a Ford Explorer? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Ford Fusion in Madison? (FAQ)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)