How Dennis Heiskill Saved $372 Per Year on Car Insurance

By Robert Lewis, InsWeb.com

For years we've been telling consumers that shopping around is the best way to save on car insurance. To prove our point, we asked college student Dennis Heiskill to see if he could save money on car insurance by comparing free quotes with InsWeb.com.

About Dennis

Age: 24

Resident of Mountain Home, Ark.

Occupation: Computer technician / part-time college student

Vehicle: 1993 Chevy Beretta

With finances tight and bills piling up, Dennis Heiskill had already been planning to reduce his monthly expenses. So when he was ticketed for driving without a seatbelt late last month, he decided that car insurance was a perfect place to start.

“After I got pulled over, I looked at my car insurance premium and realized I was paying way too much—over $65 per month,” he explained. “And with a ticket on my record, it could go even higher. That’s when I decided enough was enough.”

Using the traffic ticket as motivation, Dennis decided to search for cheaper car insurance by participating in our InsWeb Challenge.

“I’m in college and only work part-time, so car insurance is a major part of my budget,” he said. “I’m a good driver and I haven’t been in an accident in 8 or 9 years, so it seems like I should be paying a lot less.”

Here’s how it works: We will ask three car insurance agents to contact Dennis, analyze his insurance needs and offer him a quote. After the calls are completed, Dennis will compare each quote to his current rate to see if he can save money.

The first agent to contact Dennis was Stan Tague, an independent insurance agent based in Fayetteville, Ark. “Stan has been in the insurance industry for 25 years, so he’s very knowledgeable,” Dennis said. “He recommended that I purchase more than the minimum liability coverage and took the time to explain optional coverages one-by-one. He was fantastic.”

While speaking with Martha Clay of Meredith Insurance Group, Dennis found that a local agent has its advantages. “Being from the same town as I am, Martha knew that lots of drivers are uninsured. So she suggested that I add uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to my policy,” he said. “I didn’t know my old policy didn’t cover uninsured drivers. That’s a scary thought.”

The third agent, Casey Starkey, focused on helping Dennis find as many discounts as possible. “I’m on a really tight budget,” Dennis explained. “Casey understood that and reduced my quote even further by raising my deductible and looking for discounts.”

With the calls completed and three quotes in hand, it was time for the moment of truth: Would Dennis save money with a cheaper quote?

“The best quote I got was $34 per month—about half what I’m paying now.” he said. “With that policy I’ll save $372 per year. I’m definitely going to switch policies!”

Savings: $372 per year

After comparing just three quotes, Dennis Heiskill saved $372 per year on car insurance. So just imagine how much you could save by comparing car insurance quotes at InsWeb.com in the same way?