Feel like you have an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? It’s a common feeling and there are many people just like you. Vehicle owners have many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.
You need to take a look at other company’s rates yearly because car insurance prices change frequently. Even if you got the best deal two years ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to use online quotes to find great coverage at a great price.
The purpose of this article is to help educate you on the best way to quote coverages. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. But Tennessee car owners need to have an understanding of how companies sell online and apply this information to your search.
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways of comparing price quotes from many car insurance companies in Tennessee. The best method to comparison shop is to get quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done using a couple different methods.
- If you are pressed for time, the simplest way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This form saves time by eliminating a different quote for each company you want a rate for. Taking the time to complete one form will return quotes instantly.
- A harder way to get comparison quotes requires you to visit the website for each individual company and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare rates from Auto-Owners, Progressive and Allstate. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, and that explains why we recommend the first method. To view a list of companies in Lenoir City, click here.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make darn sure you compare the same quote data for each comparison quote. If you have different values for each quote it will be nearly impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Lenoir City. Just a small difference in limits may result in large price differences. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing all the rates in your area increases your odds of finding lower pricing. Some regional insurers cannot provide prices over the internet, so you need to compare price quotes from them as well.
Car insurance companies offer many types of discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may qualify for discounts that can help lower your rates. Some of these disounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Student in College – Children living away from home attending college and do not take a car to college may qualify for this discount.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may reduce rates when you but check with your company.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Early Signing – Select insurance companies give a discount for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
- No Claim Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents get the best car insurance rates in comparison to drivers with a long claim history.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount may save as much as 25% on a . Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.
Companies who might offer some of the discounts shown above include:
Double check with each company or agent what discounts are available to you. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in every state. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies with the best discounts in Lenoir City, click here.
Quote cheap car insurance with these tips
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand some of the factors that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting your prices.
- Bad credit will cost you – A driver’s credit score is a big factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit history can be improved, you could be paying less to insure your vehicle by improving your rating. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to be better risks to insure than those with lower credit ratings.
- Do you know your comp and collision deductibles? – Physical damage deductibles tell how much you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage protection, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are rearending another vehicle, animal collisions, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive.
- Having a spouse brings a discount – Your spouse actually saves money on your car insurance bill. It generally demonstrates drivers are more mature and responsible and insurance companies like that being married results in fewer claims.
- Responsible drivers pay lower rates – Just one driving citation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to careless drivers. Drivers unfortunate enough to have dangerous tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find that they have to to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Premiums can change based on your address – Being located in small towns and rural areas is a good thing when shopping for auto insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. People who live in big cities have to deal with much more traffic and more time behind the wheel. More time commuting statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.
- Liability protection is peace of mind – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection in the event that you are determined to be liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Prevent theft and save – Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can earn a premium discount. Anti-theft devices such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help prevent car theft.
- How do annual miles impact prices? – Driving more miles in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that have low annual miles qualify for better rates than those that get driven frequently. It’s always a good idea to double check that your declarations sheet shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Additional information is available on the through this link. Consumers can download brochures, learn about insurance regulations, report car insurance fraud, and read industry bulletins.
Smaller companies may have the best rates
Respected companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads in print and on television. They all try to convey promises about saving some big amount if you just switch your policy. That’s great but how can every company lower your premium rates? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Companies have specific characteristics for a prospective insured that will be a good risk. A good example of a desirable insured might be a female over age 40, carries high limits, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. A customer that meets those criteria receives the best auto insurance rates and will probably save a lot if they switch.
People who may not quite match the requirements may be forced to pay higher premium rates and this results in business going elsewhere. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s why insurance companies can make those claims.
This really emphasizes why you absolutely need to do a rate comparison at every renewal. You cannot predict which company will have the best premium rates for your profile.
Leave no stone unturned
Affordable car insurance is available on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller providers only sell through local independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.