There are just a small handful of states that do not require drivers to purchase car insurance and Iowa is one of those states. However, while Iowa may not require that you purchase car insurance, Iowa does require that you be able to prove financial responsibility in the event that you are involved in an accident.

In practice this is a fine line, and most Iowans choose the easy way out and purchase car insurance although there are several other, more torturous, methods of proving financial responsibility.

Also, if you finance an automobile then your lender will require that you purchase car insurance.

So in practice it is obvious that the majority of drivers are interesting in finding ways to save money and get discount car insurance here in Iowa.

Keeping your driving record clean is probably the single biggest thing you can do to keep your car insurance rates as low as possible. If you get a speeding ticket, a reckless driving citation, or any moving violation then you can count on your insurance premiums to begin climbing.

If you are convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or if you are convicted of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) then your rates will skyrocket.

If you have multiple tickets or convictions, or several accidents or recent insurance claims, you may find that most companies will simply refuse to insure you and you will be forced to get insurance from a high-risk insurer – with rates that will be through the roof.

The lesson here is to simply drive safely, responsibly and legally at all times.

If you’re under age 25 then you already know that your car insurance is expensive. You can lower your rates somewhat by staying in school and maintaining at least a “B” grade point average. Doing this will qualify you for a Good Student Discount which could save you about 5% on your car insurance premium.

Older drivers, those 55 and over, may be able to take a special driver’s refresher course. Not every insurance company offers such a course, but if your company does – and you pass it – you can often save 10% or even more on your monthly premium.

If you only drive occasionally you should check with your agent about a low-mileage discount.

If you drive an older vehicle that has little or no Kelly Blue Book value then you are probably throwing your money away if you purchase collision or comprehensive insurance since your insurance company will only give you Blue Book value for your vehicle in any case.

Before purchasing a vehicle you should talk to your agent about the cost of insurance for the particular model you have your eye on – some car makes and models are far more expensive to insure than others so you can save a great deal each month simply by choosing the proper vehicle to begin with.

Choosing the right deductible can also reduce your monthly car insurance premium. Consider your deductible carefully as you will be asked to pay your deductible out of your own pocket in case of a claim, but the higher your deductible the lower your monthly insurance premium.

Finally it’s time for you to go online and find at least 3 different websites that allow you to make head-to-head comparisons of different car insurance policies from different insurance companies. Don’t just make comparisons on one site and think that you have found the best discount policy available. Since no one site compares all insurance companies you will need to fill out the forms on at least 3 different websites and then compare everything before you know which company will give you the best policy at the deepest discount price.