Expensive car insurance can empty your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill. Consumers have many car insurance companies to pick from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.
How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Marion
There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance prices but one way is more efficient than others. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Marion, or you could save time and use online quoting to achieve your goal.
Most major companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers complete one form, and each participating company then returns a price quote based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to every company.
To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The one disadvantage to using this type of form is buyers cannot specifically choose which providers you want pricing from. If you wish to select individual companies to compare rates, we have a listing of car insurance companies in Arkansas. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just double check that you are using apples-to-apples information for each price quote. If the quotes have mixed coverages it will be impossible to determine the lowest rate in Marion.
Discounts are basically free money
Car insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
- Memberships – Participating in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
- Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
Local Marion agents and car insurance
Some consumers just want to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is especially important in Marion.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your insurance data gets sent to agents in your area who will give you bids for your coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!
Marion auto insurance agents are either independent or captive
If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Marion are either captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they differ because it can impact the selection process.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to get quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection.
Shown below are Marion independent agencies willing to provide rate quotes.
Nationwide Insurance – 2587 State Highway 77 S – Marion, AR 72364 – (870) 739-2123
Bigger Insurance Inc – 50 Block St # A – Marion, AR 72364 – (870) 739-3289
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. They receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
The following are captive agents in Marion willing to provide price quotes.
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1000 L H Polk Dr – Marion, AR 72364 – (870) 739-4436
To view a complete directory of captive insurance agencies in Marion, please go to this site.
Choosing an insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. These questions are important to ask:
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
Car insurance coverage information
Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.
UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with another moving vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, doctor visits and prosthetic devices. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Liability car insurance – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage protects against claims like repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses and court costs. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Arkansas state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like hitting a deer, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
In Summary
We just presented a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
As you prepare to switch companies, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price.
Additional reading for car insurance information
More information can be found on the website for the Arkansas Insurance Department through this link. Arkansas drivers can download brochures, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other related articles: