Car owners that are new to comparing insurance quotes on the web will find buying is tougher than they thought.
It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes yearly because rates trend upward over time. Even if you think you had the best premium rates two years ago you can probably find a better price now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
If you have a current car insurance policy or are looking for a new policy, you can learn to find the best rates and possibly find even better coverage. Pricing the cheapest car insurance in Lakeland is easy if you know what you’re doing. Tennessee drivers just need to understand the proper way to compare price quotes online.
The most recommended method to compare car insurance rates is to know most of the larger companies actually pay money for the chance to compare rate quotes. To start a quote, the only thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information such as marital status, which vehicles you own, your job, and if it has an alarm system. Your information is automatically sent to multiple top-rated companies and they return rate quotes instantly.
If you would like to compare rates now, click here and enter the information requested.
Save money by receiving discounts
Car insurance can be pricey, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts will apply at the time of quoting, but some need to be asked for prior to getting the savings.
- Driving Data Discount – People who choose to allow driving data submission to look at vehicle usage through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better prices.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who are enrolled in higher education away from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning your own home or condo may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child participate in a local driver’s education class in high school.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you could get a free car insurance policy, you’re out of luck.
To choose providers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Lakeland, follow this link.
Lower Your Rates with these tips
Lots of factors are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but others are not as apparent such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are. The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at the different types of things that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get lower premium levels.
- Poor credit rating equals high prices – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. Therefore, if your credit history can be improved, you may save money insuring your vehicle by taking the time to improve your credit score. People that have high credit scores tend to be more responsible than those with poor credit.
- Vehicle options can affect prices – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Do you have a demanding job? – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Jobs like military personnel, business owners and dentists tend to have higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other jobs such as farmers, engineers and homemakers have lower than average premiums.
- File policy claims and pay more – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in Tennessee give the lowest premiums to policyholders who are claim-free. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of more catestrophic claims.
- Bundling policies can get discounts – The majority of insurers afford a discount for people who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, drivers will still want to check prices from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to save money by insuring with multiple companies.
- Maintain car insurance coverage – Having a lapse in insurance coverage will be a sure-fire way to increase your car insurance rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you fines and jail time.
- Increase coverage deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, hitting a deer, and rolling your vehicle. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more damage repair cost you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your car insurance will be.
- Know your vehicle’s safety rating – Cars with five star safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company and cheaper rates on your policy. If your car has ratings of a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may be receiving lower rates.
Your car insurance coverage should be tailored to you
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
These are some specific questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do no-fault laws apply in Tennessee?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required Tennessee minimum liability coverage?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Additional information is located on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance through this link. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find disaster information.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Lakeland
- Lower Pricing from Lakeland Florida Auto Insurance Companies
- Buy Lakeland Florida Car Insurance Like a Scrooge
- Lakeland Insurance Agencies Consumers Guide to Finding the Best
But the ad said I’d save 15% in 15 minutes!
Tennessee consumers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price car insurance from the likes of State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the companies advertise claims about how much you will save if you switch to their company.
How is it plausible that every one can make the same claim? This is the trick they use.
All companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that will not have excessive claims. One example of a driver they prefer might be over the age of 45, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that fits those parameters will most likely get cheap premium rates and will also cut their rates if they switch.
Consumers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile must pay a higher premium and this results in business going elsewhere. The trick companies use is to say “people that switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s why insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.
Because each company has a different risk profile, it’s extremely important to compare as many as you can. It is impossible to predict which car insurance company will have the best premium rates at this point in time.
In the end, you save
You just learned a lot of information how to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.
Affordable car insurance can be bought both online in addition to many Lakeland insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not have the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller providers work with local independent agencies.
Drivers who switch companies do it for many reasons like poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high rates after DUI convictions and even being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason, switching car insurance companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.