Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are many Wasilla consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.
Lots of auto insurance companies contend for your insurance dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer and get the best coverage at the lowest rate possible.
Comprehensive Wasilla Car Insurance Comparison
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes from different in Wasillainsurance companies. The easiest way by far to find competitive insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done in several different ways.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. One simple form will return quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices.
- A more time consuming way to shop for car insurance online consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Nationwide, Allstate and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to go to every website and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Wasilla, click here.
Which method you use is up to you, but make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples information on every quote. If you use different values for each quote it will be very difficult to determine the lowest rate in Wasilla. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. Keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies helps you find the best offered rates.
Is there truth in advertising?
Companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save if you switch to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Drivers who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can claim big savings.
This illustrates why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Decisions you make can impact your rates
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.
- A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Letting your insurance expire will be a guaranteed way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will you pay more, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Alaska DMV.
- Your job and insurance rates – Occupations such as lawyers, business owners and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average attributed to job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations such as pilots, athletes and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Increase deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your car insurance pays a claim. The more you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
- Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
- Drive less and save money – Driving more miles each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage.
- With age comes lower rates – Teen drivers in Alaska are statistically proven to be more careless when driving so car insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a youthful driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
- Where you reside plays a part – Choosing to live in a small town can save you money when it comes to car insurance. Drivers who live in large cities tend to have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
Take advantage of discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but a few must be manually applied before they will apply.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could trigger savings on your policy.
- Good Student – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give lower rates if you buy life insurance.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.
For a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Wasilla, click here.
How to know if you need help
When buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out whether you might need professional guidance.
- What are Alaska no-fault laws?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Compare but don’t skimp
Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from independent agents in Wasilla, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
To learn even more about car insurance
Additional car insurance information can be read on the website for the Alaska Division of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, get help finding coverage, and view a list of available companies.