Nobody that owns a car rejoices having to buy auto insurance, especially when they know their premiums are too high. Many insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the best coverage at the lowest price
It’s important to compare rates periodically because auto insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate a year ago there may be better deals available now. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, but in just a couple of minutes you can learn some proven techniques to buy auto insurance cheaper.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to save some money using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Signal Mountain is easy if you know what you’re doing. Nevertheless, Tennessee consumers can benefit from knowing the methods companies use to sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.
Decisions you make can lower your costs
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the things that help calculate your policy premiums. If you know what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in cheaper rates. Many factors are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving record, although some other factors are more obscure such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.
The list below includes some of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine prices.
- Fewer miles means better costs – The more you drive your car every year the more you’ll pay to insure it. Many insurance companies calculate prices based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars left parked in the garage can be on a lower rate level than those that get driven frequently. Ask your agent if your declarations sheet is rated on the right rating data.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The type of vehicle you need to insure makes a huge difference in your premium level. Economy passenger vehicles generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
- Low deductibles mean high premiums – Comp and collision deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are rearending another vehicle, hail damage, and damage from wind. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Males pay higher costs – Statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes are in auto accidents at about the same rate, but guys cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get cited for more serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI). Male teenagers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore pay the highest rates.
When shopping for , there are a couple of ways of comparing rate quotes from lots of Tennessee auto insurance companies. One of the best ways to comparison shop is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished by using one of the methods below.
- Without a doubt, the easiest way consumers can analyze rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This quick form keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for every company. One simple form will get you price quotes from multiple companies.
- A harder way to find lower rates is going to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to get rates from USAA, Progressive and Liberty Mutual. You would be required to navigate to each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Signal Mountain, click here.
- The old school way to price shop rates is to spend time driving to and from local Signal Mountain insurance agencies. The ability to get quotes online makes this process obsolete unless you have a complicated situation and need the professional abilities of a licensed agent. You can, however, get the lowest quotes online but have a local agent actually write the policy.
Which method you use is up to you, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If the quotes have different liability limits then you won’t be able to determine the best price in Signal Mountain. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits could skew the results. Keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies helps improve the odds of finding the best price.
Save with these rate-reducing discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts that may help make it more affordable. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can save up to 40% or more on their compared to accident prone drivers.
- Early Signing – A few insurance companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you .
- Own a Home – Owning a house in Signal Mountain may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- College Student Discount – Children who are attending college and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
- Driver’s Ed – Teen drivers should enroll and complete driver’s education in school.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not really a discount, but some companies like Progressive, State Farm and Geico may permit one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- E-sign Discounts</strong – Certain larger companies provide a small discount just for signing your application over the internet.
- Low Mileage – Low annual miles can qualify you for cheaper auto insurancerates.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of auto insurance companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.
- American Family has savings for good student, multi-vehicle, accident-free, bundled insurance, TimeAway discount, and air bags.
- State Farm may have discounts that include good driver, Drive Safe & Save, good student, student away at school, multiple policy, and multiple autos.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for air bags, automatic seat belts, driver training, homeowners, early bird, defensive driver, and teen driver.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including new car, hybrid/electric vehicle, save driver, continuous insurance, early quote, and driver training.
- Geico includes discounts for emergency military deployment, daytime running lights, good student, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
When comparing rates, check with each insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Some credits may not be available in Signal Mountain. For a list of providers with significant discounts in Signal Mountain, follow this link.
Should I talk to an insurance agency?
Many drivers prefer to talk to a local agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is you can get better rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for neighborhood insurance agencies is still important in Signal Mountain.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, the quote information is submitted to participating agents in Signal Mountain that can provide for your coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to your email. You’ll get the best rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you wish to quote rates for a specific company, you can always find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
If you are wanting to purchase auto insurance from a reputable agency, it’s important to understand the types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Auto insurance agencies can either be independent agents or captive agents depending on their employer.
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent do not sell for just one brand so they can quote policies with any number of different companies and find you the best rates. If prices rise, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you need lower rates, you need to include rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to maximize your price options.
Featured below are Signal Mountain independent insurance agencies who may be able to give you pricing information.
Provident Agency Inc – 1807 Taft Hwy # 50 – Signal Mountain, TN 37377 – (423) 517-0030
Legge Insurance – 4 Ridgerock Dr – Signal Mountain, TN 37377 – (423) 517-0002
Signal Mountain Insurance – 817 Ridgeway Ave – Signal Mountain, TN 37377 – (423) 886-3123
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Captive agencies work for only one company and some examples include AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Captive agencies receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Choosing an insurance agent should include more criteria than just the price. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
After talking to the agent and getting good answers to your questions and quotes, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that is reputable and can service your policy.
How much auto insurance do I need?
When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Additional information can be found on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance located here. Tennessee consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, learn about specific coverages, and find disaster information.
Be persistent and save
We just presented many ways to lower your auto insurance premium rates. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting . You may even discover the lowest premium rates are with an unexpected company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Geico and State Farm.
Cheaper auto insurance can be bought on the web and from local agencies, so get from both of them to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer price quotes online and many times these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.