Searching for the cheapest Ridgeland car insurance on the web can be impossible for people who are new to buying insurance on the web. With so many insurers available, how can consumers even start to compare every one to find the lowest rates?
How to Compare Ridgeland Car Insurance Costs
Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take hours if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Ridgeland, or you can utilize online quotes to maximize your effort.
Most of the larger companies take part in a program where prospective buyers submit one quote, and each participating company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating quote requests for every car insurance company.
To find out how much you can save on car insurance click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to getting quotes like this is you don’t know exactly the companies you want to price. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to compare, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Mississippi. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare identical quote information for every company. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to determine the lowest rate in Ridgeland. Having just a slight variation in coverages can make a big difference in price. Keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting the best offered rates.
Cut your premium with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t list all their discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in high school.
- Good Student – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Mississippi, click this link.
Smart Buyers can Save Money
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Marriage pays dividends – Being married can get you a discount on car insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
- Your credit rating is important – A driver’s credit rating is a large factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower ratings. If your credit can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit.
- More than one policy can earn a discount – Some car insurance companies provide better rates to people who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Letting your insurance expire will be a fast way to bump up your car insurance costs. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may need to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Mississippi motor vehicle department.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more you drive each year the higher your rate. The majority of insurers rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage.
- Males pay more for insurance – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Both sexes cause accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Do I need a local agent?
Some consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to companies in Ridgeland who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no need to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy! You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Deciding on an insurer requires more thought than just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
The type of insurance agency you choose is important
When finding a local agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Ridgeland are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents work for only one company such as State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often buy from captive agents partially due to the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.
Shown below are captive insurance agents in Ridgeland willing to provide rate quotes.
- Shelter Insurance – 1880 E County Line Rd – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 978-2260
- Southern Farm Bureau Cslty Ins – 1800 E County Line Rd # 400 – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 957-7777
- State Farm Insurance – 6969 Old Canton Rd – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 956-6556
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you should always get quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with smaller regional carriers which may provide better rates.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Ridgeland willing to provide rate quotes.
- National Insurance Crime – 107 Honeysuckle Ln – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 857-5141
- Jerry Lyons Agency – 101 Business Park Dr # G1 – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 977-0170
- Wooten Insurance Inc – 400 Ih 55 N – Ridgeland, MS 39157 – (601) 605-6338
For a full directory of insurance agents in Ridgeland, go to this page.
Once you have acceptable answers for all questions you ask and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.
How to know if you need help
When it comes to choosing coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s needs are different.
For instance, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Mississippi?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Mississippi Insurance Department website. Mississippi consumers can read industry bulletins, read state legal mandates and laws, learn about specific coverages, and get help finding coverage.
Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this list of insurance agents in Ridgeland, MS.
Can switching companies really save?
Companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim of big savings if you move to them. But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay higher rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.
More quotes mean more savings
As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where an insured cut full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
We just covered a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.
Cheaper car insurance is possible on the web and also from your neighborhood Ridgeland agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.