Finding the most affordable Birmingham auto insurance online can seem to be somewhat difficult for beginners to price shopping online. Because there are so many choices, how can Birmingham drivers have a chance to compare every company to locate the best available price?
You need to shop coverage around periodically because prices change frequently. If you had the lowest price last year you can probably find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online, so I’m going to show you the best ways to stop overpaying for insurance.
Comprehensive Auto Insurance Comparison in Birmingham, AL
Most major insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm give pricing online. Getting online quotes doesn’t take a lot of time as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. After you complete the form, their system sends out for reports for credit and driving violations and returns a price.
Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s very important to perform this step in order to get lower prices.
A more efficient way to lower your rates makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from several companies at one time. It saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online shopping much more efficient. After sending the form, it is quoted and you can select any or none of the resulting price quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and buy the policy. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.
To quickly find out if lower rates are available, click here and begin entering your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you copy your coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This helps ensure you will get rate quotes based on identical coverages.
Buy Cheaper Auto Insurance with These Tips
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.
The list below includes a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.
- Your age impacts your rates – More mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to get distracted easily when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. The safest 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.
- Where you live is a factor – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have much more traffic and longer commute times. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident.
- Is your vehicle built for speed? – The type of vehicle you are insuring makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. Economy passenger cars receive the most favorable rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Careful drivers pay lower rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Pleasure use saves money – Driving more miles every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Being married can save on auto insurance – Having a spouse helps lower the price on your auto insurance policy. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
- Do you have enough liability coverage? – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you when you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Lots of discounts mean lots of savings
Companies that sell car insurance don’t list all their discounts very well, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Driver Safety – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Student in College – Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Alabama, click here to view.
Price shop online but buy from a local Birmingham agent
Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! Get lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Picking an provider shouldn’t rely on just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Two different types of auto insurance agents
If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Birmingham are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents have only one company to place business with like American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captives are well schooled on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers sometimes choose to use a captive agent mostly because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Birmingham willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Liberty Mutual – 3000 Riverchase Galleria – Birmingham, AL 35244 – (205) 402-0687
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1305 4th Ave S – Birmingham, AL 35233 – (205) 714-7300
- Allstate Insurance – 1605 Center Point Pkwy # B – Birmingham, AL 35215 – (205) 853-1300
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rates, you should always include at least one independent agent for the best price selection.Most can insure with different regional companies who may have lower rates.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Birmingham that can give you rate quotes.
- Coastal Insurance Group – 200 Chase Park S – Birmingham, AL 35244 – (205) 298-7776
- John Powell Agency – 5511 Highway 280 S # 217 – Birmingham, AL 35242 – (205) 981-2150
- Hayes-Rasbury Agency – 25 23rd Ter NW – Birmingham, AL 35215 – (205) 854-3324
- Insurance Coverage – 216 Aquarius Dr # 303 – Birmingham, AL 35209 – (205) 942-8358
- Dixon Moore Agency – 9340 Helena Rd – Birmingham, AL 35244 – (205) 402-2181
To view a complete directory of auto insurance agents in Birmingham, please go to this site.
Upon getting positive responses to these questions and locked in a price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that will properly service your auto insurance policy.
Final thoughts
We just showed you a lot of techniques to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier.
Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, being labeled a high risk driver and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company is easier than you think.
The cheapest Birmingham auto insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Birmingham insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
To learn more about auto insurance in Alabama
More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about specific coverages.