Are you intimidated by the sheer number of car insurance options in West Memphis? You’re not alone. People have so many options that it can be a ton of work to find lower rates.
It’s a good habit to check car insurance prices periodically because insurance rates trend upward over time. If you had the lowest price a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
Finding the best rates in West Memphis is not rocket science. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using this strategy. But Arkansas consumers must understand the way companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.
Factors that affect insurance rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.
Shown below are some of the factors companies use to determine premiums.
- Policy add-ons can waste money – There are quite a few add-on coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
- More performance means more cost – The type of car you own makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. Small economy passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Are you male or female? – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes are in accidents in similar numbers, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
- Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a fast way to increase your car insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with the Arkansas DMV.
- Low deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage insurance, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and burglary. The deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more money you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- Cautious drivers pay less – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers with severe tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Where you live can impact rates – Choosing to live in less populated areas can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. City drivers have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means reduced accidents.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Companies do not advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings.
- 55 and Retired – Older drivers may receive reduced rates.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in school.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To choose insurers with the best car insurance discounts in West Memphis, click here.
Tailor your coverage to you
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different.
For example, these questions may help highlight whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.
Even more information is available at the Arkansas Insurance Department website. Consumers can download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, discover disciplinary actions, and view a list of available companies.
In the end, you save
We just covered a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.
Low-cost car insurance can be found both online and also from your neighborhood West Memphis agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
Insureds switch companies for a variety of reasons including policy cancellation, delays in paying claims, policy non-renewal or even not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, switching car insurance companies is not as difficult as it may seem.