Do you get exhausted from wondering where the money will come from to keep your car insured? You have the same problem as millions of other drivers. Since drivers have many online and local companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to choose the cheapest car insurance company.
It’s smart to compare prices on a regular basis since insurance prices tend to go up over time. If you had the best deal on your last policy other companies may now be cheaper. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance online but in a few minutes you can learn the best ways to reduce your car insurance bill.
The best way to compare rate quotes is to take advantage of the fact most insurance companies have advanced systems to compare their rates. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is give them some information such as the make and model of your vehicles, your general credit rating, how you use your vehicles, and if a SR-22 is needed. Your information is submitted instantly to many of the top insurers and they return quotes within a short period of time.
To compare rates now, click here and see if a lower rate is available.
Ten discounts for affordable car insurance rates
Car insurance companies don’t always advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden savings tricks you should be using when you .
- Distant College Student Discount – Older children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars that have anti-lock braking systems are much safer to drive and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your .
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few insurance companies offer discounts for buying a new policy prior to the expiration date on your current policy. The savings is around 10%.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable their car insurance company to track driving manner by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot could save a few bucks if they have good driving habits.
- Life Insurance Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Professional Organizations – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Pell City is a simple method to lower premiums on your next car insurance statement.
- Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents get the best car insurance rates compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Good Students Pay Less – Being a good student may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a course in safe driver could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
We need to note that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will lower the amount you pay for coverage.
A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts can be read below.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts including 55 and retired, good student, renewal discount, driver training, youthful driver, multi-vehicle, and safe driver.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for multi-policy, accident-free, claim-free, good driver, defensive driver, and good student.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, and multi-policy.
- AAA may offer discounts for multi-car, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, pay-in-full, good driver, good student, and multi-policy.
- American Family has discounts for defensive driver, Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, bundled insurance, and TimeAway discount.
- Geico policyholders can earn discounts including good student, federal employee, air bags, military active duty, and defensive driver.
- State Farm offers discounts for anti-theft, safe vehicle, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, and passive restraint.
Before you buy a policy, ask every insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Savings may not apply to policies in your area. To find providers who offer car insurance discounts in Alabama, click here.
Additional information is located on the found here. Alabama drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, learn about insurance regulations, and read industry bulletins.
The coverage is in the details
Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Collision coverages – Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims like scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb, sustaining damage from a pot hole and driving through your garage door. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Alabama limits are 25/50/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Comprehensive coverages – This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as damage from flooding, fire damage, vandalism, hail damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Coverage for medical payments – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for chiropractic care, surgery, funeral costs, nursing services and prosthetic devices. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto liability – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for claims like bail bonds, court costs, medical services, loss of income and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Alabama state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
A little work can save a LOT of money
Budget-friendly car insurance is definitely available both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get from both of them in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent agents.
You just learned many ways to lower your car insurance premium rates. The key concept to understand is the more you , the better chance you’ll have of finding . Drivers may discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.