Are you confused by the sheer number of car insurance options in Decatur? You’re not alone. You have so many options available that it can be a real hassle to find the lowest price.
You need to compare rates quite often since rates trend upward over time. If you had the lowest price a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn one of the easiest ways to save on car insurance.
Save big with these discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied when you complete an application, but some must be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Own a Home – Simply owning a home may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Decatur, follow this link.
Decatur Car Insurance Prices Online
There are several ways to shop for car insurance, but there is one way that is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to local insurance agents in Decatur, or you could save time and use online quotes to get the quickest rates.
All the larger companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers enter their coverage request one time, and each participating company can provide price quotes for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests for every car insurance company. To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose which companies you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in Alabama. View list of Alabama insurance companies.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverage information with every price quote. If you enter mixed coverages then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best in Decatur.
You have some control over your rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
The list below includes a partial list of the pieces car insurance companies consider when setting rates.
- Having a spouse can save you money – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The more you drive in a year the higher your rate. Most companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your car insurance policy is showing the correct driver usage.
- Never let your coverage lapse – Not having insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Alabama motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Older drivers pay less – Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Young drivers have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
What happened to insurance agents?
Certain consumers prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local businesses is important especially in Decatur.
By using this simple form, your insurance data is sent to participating agents in Decatur who will compete for your business. There is no need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier!
If you want to select a specific agent in Decatur, please go to this site.
Picking a company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- How long has their agency been in business in Decatur?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
After receiving good answers to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an insurance company that can service your policy.
Better coverage you can count on
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.
Low-cost car insurance is attainable from both online companies and with local Decatur insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
You just read a lot of techniques to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the best prices are with a small mutual company.
More sites with car insurance information
Much more information about car insurance in Alabama is located on the Alabama Department of Insurance website located here. Alabama drivers can learn about specific coverages, read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other useful links include this Car Insurance FAQ and this list of insurance agents in Decatur.