Shopping for the lowest cost Kingman auto insurance online can be somewhat difficult for consumers new to comparison shopping online. With so many online companies, how can you even start to compare every one to find the lowest rates?
It’s a good habit to do rate comparisons once or twice a year since insurance rates change quite often. Even if you got the best price two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Don’t believe everything you read about auto insurance on the web, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn a lot of great tips on how to quit paying high auto insurance rates.
These six discounts can lower your rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
- Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application online.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
Different people need different coverages
When buying coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Arizona?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
The auto insurance bait and switch
21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads in print and on television. All the companies make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you move to their company. How do they all claim to save you money?
All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer might be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Consumers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay more money which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict which company will fit your personal profile best.
Car insurance 101
Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Arizona drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (Arizona limits are 15/30/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for bills for things like rehabilitation expenses, EMT expenses, hospital visits and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
This covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability insurance
This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that translate to a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as emergency aid, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Arizona state minimum liability requirements are 15,000/30,000/10,000 but drivers should carry higher limits.
Comprehensive auto coverage
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer, damage from getting keyed and hitting a bird. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Additional reading for auto insurance information
Even more information is located at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Arizona consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, discover disciplinary actions, download brochures, and report car insurance fraud.
More effort can pay off
Low-cost auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Kingman agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
We covered many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.
When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.