Finding good car insurance in Rapid City can be challenging since there are a lot of options and finding the best South Dakota auto insurance agent is not as easy as just picking up the phone. Consumers require a friendly agent, and also want to find competitive car insurance rates.
Popular companies such as State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Geico and Allstate constantly bombard you with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and take the time to shop coverage around.
How to compare Rapid City car insurance rates
Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates but also keep your business local.
After completing this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to insurance agents in Rapid City who will compete for your business. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier!
Choosing an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:
- How are claims handled?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
Two types of auto insurance agents
When finding a good insurance agency, there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Rapid City are categorized either captive or independent. Both insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning how they differ because it can impact the type of agent you choose
Agency Captives
Captive agencies have only one company to place business with and examples are State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. They are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents primarily because of the prominence of the brand and strong financial ratings.
Shown below are captive insurance agencies in Rapid City that are able to give price quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 2127 Jackson Blvd – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 342-7757
- Allstate Insurance Co – 3423 W Main St – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 341-2345
- Shelter Insurance – 508 7th St – Rapid City, SD 57701 – (605) 342-3133
- State Farm Insurance – 27 Baken Park Shopping Ctr – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 348-0800
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 2433 W Chicago St – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 341-7600
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1719 W Main St – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 716-2730
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, we recommend you include multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. They often place coverage with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.
Below are Rapid City independent agencies that are able to give rate quotes.
- Mike Brewer Agency Inc – 405 E Omaha St # C – Rapid City, SD 57701 – (605) 348-2007
- Myron Hofer Agency – 2400 W Main St # H – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 342-7803
- American Benefits Agency – 429 Kansas City St # 6 – Rapid City, SD 57701 – (605) 343-7870
- Relia Star Insurance – 916 Main St # 106 – Rapid City, SD 57701 – (605) 342-7799
- Agents Of Insurance – 2693 Commerce Rd – Rapid City, SD 57702 – (605) 348-7788
For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Rapid City, visit this link.
After receiving good answers and locked in a price quote, most likely you have located an insurance agency that will adequately provide car insurance.
Aren’t online-only companies cheaper?
Local insurance agents are important to many people, but South Dakota car insurance can also be bought from online companies direct. Certain auto insurance companies who have local Rapid City agents also allow consumers to get a quote and buy online, so keep that in mind if you want to do it yourself.
If you’re uneasy about not receiving proper advice when buying direct, that is normal but is not a big issue. Companies that allow you to purchase coverage provide toll-free numbers for getting advice on proper coverages.
Do people save by buying online? The answer is complex because there are many factors that influence your rates. Common logic is that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company saves by not paying a commission. In many cases, there are very high advertising costs so this can offset any savings.
Additional detailed information can be read at the South Dakota Division of Insurance website. South Dakota drivers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, and find disaster information.
The following articles may also be useful.
- 9 Must-Know Tips When Looking for the Best Deal on Rapid City Car Insurance
- 7 Tricks Guaranteed to Save on Auto Insurance Costs in Rapid City South Dakota
One last thing
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where an insured dropped full coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cheap car insurance is attainable from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Rapid City, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
