When trying to find more affordable insurance, are you frustrated by the number of auto insurance providers that you can choose from? You’re not alone. Louisiana vehicle owners have such a vast assortment of providers available that it can easily turn into a real challenge to find a cheaper company. Jackson is an excellent city in which to live, but finding the money to pay for auto insurance makes it impossible to affordably insure vehicles.
It’s a good idea to check auto insurance prices every six months since insurance prices go up and down regularly. If you had the best rates a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the proper way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
These discounts can reduce auto insurance rates
Companies offering auto insurance do not list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles with one company can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Paper-free Discount – A few larger online companies provide a small discount online.
- Cautious Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
- ABS Brakes – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Jackson drivers who agree to allow their company to study their driving habits by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could save a few bucks as long as they are good drivers.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower auto insurance rates.
- Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront as opposed to paying monthly you can avoid the installment charge.
As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Large auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
- Geico may offer discounts for emergency military deployment, good student, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, federal employee, driver training, and anti-theft.
- USAA policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, family discount, good student, defensive driver, and new vehicle.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and good student.
- American Family has savings for good driver, accident-free, air bags, bundled insurance, early bird, Steer into Savings, and TimeAway discount.
- Esurance may have discounts that include DriveSense, good driver, paid-in-full, anti-theft, and claim free.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for pay in full, early shopping, electronic funds transfer, mature driver, and business and professional.
- State Farm has discounts for good student, Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, multiple policy, student away at school, anti-theft, and multiple autos.
Before buying, ask each insurance company the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policyholders in Jackson. 
Why smart buyers get cheaper prices in Jackson
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing a few of the rating criteria that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
- No policy gaps is important – Having a gap between insurance policy dates is a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will you pay more, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Louisiana motor vehicle department.
- Traffic violations mean higher rates – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Good drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to careless drivers. Drivers who have license-revoking violations such as reckless driving or DUI are required to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
- Premiums are impacted by vehicle performance – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Higher comp and collision deductibles cost less – Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Auto insurance in the media
State Farm, Allstate and Geico continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all say the same thing that you can save if you switch your auto insurance coverage to their company. How does every company lower your car insurance rates?
Companies offer their best rates for the type of insured that earns them a profit. A good example of this type of driver might be described as between the ages of 30 and 45, owns their home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Anyone who fits that profile may get the lowest prices in Jackson and will save when switching.
Drivers who fall outside these standards will be charged a higher rate with the end result being the customer buying from someone else. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. This emphasizes why it is so important to compare many company’s car insurance rates. It is impossible to guess the company that will give you the biggest savings.
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, and view agent and company licensing information.
The following articles may also be useful.
- Save Money on Jackson Auto Insurance Rates in Five Minutes
- Popular Tricks for Buying Jackson Wyoming Auto Insurance for the Lowest Rate
- Lowest Car Insurance Exclusively for Jackson Residents
Quote more, save more
People who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as being labeled a high risk driver, policy cancellation, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is not as difficult as it may seem.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get prices for, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with an unexpected company.
More affordable auto insurance can be purchased online and from local insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not offer online rate quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent agents.