Cutting costs on Chelsea auto insurance might be a challenge for drivers who have little experience buying insurance online. People have so many companies to choose from that it can easily be a ton of work to lower your prices.
It’s a great practice to compare premium rates on a regular basis since prices are variable and change quite frequently. Just because you found the best quotes on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the proper way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
Cheap Chelsea auto insurance rate quotes online
To find more affordable rates, there are a couple of ways of comparing rates from all the different companies. The easiest way to comparison shop consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
Experts agree that the best way to get quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This style of form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes instantly. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
A harder way to find lower rates requires a trip to each individual company website and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you need rates from Auto-Owners, Esurance and Liberty Mutual. In order to compare rates, you need to go to each individual site and punch in your information repeatedly, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Chelsea, click here.
The most difficult method to shop rates is to spend time driving to each insurance agency near you. Comparing online rate quotes has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the trained guidance that only a licensed agent can provide. Although, it is possible compare online quotes but purchase the actual policy in an agency.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, try to keep exactly the same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you use different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to make a fair rate comparison in Chelsea. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages or limits may result in large price differences. Just remember that making a lot of price comparisons increases the change that you will find the best price.
Don’t overlook these auto insurance discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts will apply at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- Low Miles Discount – Keeping the miles down may enable drivers to earn substantially lower prices.
- Club Memberships – Being in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could earn you a nice discount on your policy.
- Active Military Service – Having a deployed family member can result in better auto insurance rates.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up can save 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings up to 30%.
You should keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Despite the fact that it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
A few popular companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for teen driver, automatic seat belts, defensive driver, homeowners, theft prevention, anti-lock brakes, and 55 and older.
- State Farm offers discounts for anti-theft, multiple policy, defensive driving training, accident-free, and good driver.
- AAA has savings for good driver, anti-theft, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, and multi-car.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for good student, hybrid vehicle, new graduate, preferred payment discount, safety features, and teen driver discount.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-policy, continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, and homeowner.
If you want , ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Some credits may not be available in your area. To find providers that offer multiple discounts in Alabama, click here.
Independent versus captive car insurance agents
Certain consumers just prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Once you complete this quick form, the quote information is submitted to agents in your area who want to provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to you. It’s the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If you have a need to get a rate quote from a particular provider, you can always go to their quote page to submit a rate quote request.
Picking an company should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. A good agent will have answers to these questions.
- How are they compensated?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
Two different types of car insurance agents
When searching for a reputable agency, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies and how they operate. Auto insurance agents are considered either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Captive Agencies
Agents in the captive channel can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Drivers often buy from captive agents mostly because of high brand loyalty rather than having low rates.
The following is a short list of captive agencies in Chelsea who can help you get price quote information.
- Allstate Insurance – 16712 Highway 280 # B – Chelsea, AL 35043 – (205) 678-2660
- State Farm Insurance – 16233 Highway 280 # A – Chelsea, AL 35043 – (205) 678-0200
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be independent often have many company appointments so they have the ability to put coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part. If you need lower rates, you will definitely want to get several quotes from multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison. Most have the option of insuring with less well-known companies which may provide better rates.
Quote more affordable auto insurance with these tips
Many different elements are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.
- Pay more by driving carelessly – Having a single citation could increase your next policy renewal forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums as compared to those with violations. Drivers with dangerous violations like DUI or willful reckless driving are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The type of vehicle you need insurance for makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. The lowest premiums are usually found on lower cost passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft devices like OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all hinder auto theft.
- Where you call home plays a part – Living in less populated areas is a positive aspect if you are looking for the lowest rates. Fewer drivers and short commutes means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers who live in large Alabama cities have to deal with traffic congestion and more time behind the wheel. More time behind the wheel means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Use credit responsibly and save – Having a bad credit score will be a significant factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your vehicle by improving your rating. People with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with worse credit.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to have a common claim that you’ll save big if you get a free and switch your coverage. How can each company charge less that you’re paying now? This is the way they can do it.
Auto insurance companies have underwriting criteria for the right customer that earns them the most money. For example, a driver they prefer may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. Someone that matches those criteria receives the best car insurance rates and will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who do not meet this ideal profile will be charged higher rates with the end result being the customer buying from someone else. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That is how companies can truthfully state the savings. Different companies use different criteria so you really should get a wide range of price quotes. Because without a comparison, you cannot know with any certainty which company will have the best prices.
Find cheaper rates by being thorough
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed collision coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost while still protecting your assets.
Lower-priced auto insurance is attainable on the web and from local insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller providers sell through independent agents.
In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to lower your auto insurance car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be read at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Alabama consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and learn about specific coverages.