There are several ways to lower your auto insurance premiums without sacrificing the coverage that protects your family financially. In Wisconsin, I would focus on discounts, deductibles, vehicle usage, and how your policy is structured before considering reductions in liability coverage.
Here are the strategies I recommend to customers at Lehmann Insurance Agency, ranked roughly by their potential value.
10 Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance Rates
- Bundle home and auto. Multi-policy discounts can be substantial. Compare the combined household cost, not just the auto premium, to see the real savings.
- Increase deductibles. Moving from a $500 to a $1,000 deductible can reduce your comprehensive and collision premiums. This is a good option if you have emergency savings to cover the higher out-of-pocket amount.
- Enroll in a safe-driving program. Apps like Drivewise may reward safer driving with lower rates. This is particularly worth evaluating for families with teen drivers.
- Review annual mileage. Driving fewer miles may qualify you for better rates. Update your mileage if you work from home or have a short commute.
- Check every available discount. Good student, defensive driving, payment and other discounts can add up quickly. I recommend conducting a full discount review annually.
- Pay in full or use automatic payments. Some insurers offer billing-related discounts. Compare the total annual cost under each payment option to find the best deal.
- Review older vehicles. Collision coverage may no longer be economical on some low-value cars. Compare the premium with the vehicle’s value and your deductible to decide whether it still makes sense.
- Check driver and vehicle assignments. Some insurers rate vehicles differently depending on who drives them. Confirm that household drivers and usage are accurately listed on your policy.
- Improve insurance-related credit factors. Credit-based insurance scores can affect premiums in Wisconsin. Avoid unnecessary coverage lapses and review your credit report for accuracy.
- Compare available policy programs. Different underwriting programs may price the same household differently. Review your eligibility for newer programs rather than simply reducing your limits.
What I Would Avoid Cutting
I would be cautious about lowering bodily injury liability limits, removing uninsured or underinsured motorist protection, or eliminating umbrella coverage just to save a relatively small amount.
For example, reducing liability coverage from $250,000/$500,000 to Wisconsin’s minimum $25,000/$50,000 can expose a family to significant financial risk after a serious accident.
The goal should be to reduce what you’re paying for the risk, not shift more catastrophic risk onto yourself.
Three Additional Opportunities People Often Overlook
Review insurance costs before buying a vehicle. Two vehicles with similar purchase prices can have very different insurance premiums. Get quotes using the actual VINs before purchasing, especially for teenagers.
Check student-away-at-school eligibility. If a college student attends school away from home without a vehicle, the family may qualify for a discount while keeping the student properly insured.
Requote after major household changes. Retirement, switching to remote work, a teenager leaving for college, or replacing a vehicle can all affect premiums. Wisconsin’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance specifically recommends reviewing these factors.
A Useful Annual Insurance Review
At Lehmann Insurance Agency, we show customers three versions of their policy at renewal:
Current coverage: What you’re paying today.
Optimized coverage: Same liability protection, but all available discounts and deductible options reviewed.
Maximum practical savings: Additional changes to optional coverages, with the financial tradeoffs clearly explained.
This makes it easier to see that you have choices beyond simply lowering coverage.
Wisconsin’s insurance regulator and Allstate both identify bundling, safe-driving programs, student discounts and deductible reviews as legitimate ways to reduce premiums.