If online auto insurance comparisons are new to you, you can be bewildered thanks to the huge assortment of online auto insurance companies and websites that all say they have the best rates.
It’s a great practice to take a look at other company’s rates occasionally because auto insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the best deal at your last renewal you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the internet, but in a few minutes you can learn some good information on how to reduce your auto insurance bill.
Most larger insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico provide insurance quotes directly from their websites. Doing online quotes is pretty easy as you just enter as requested by the quote form. Once you submit the form, their quoting system will order credit information and your driving record and returns pricing information.
Quoting online makes it easy to compare insurance prices but the work required to visit each company’s website and repetitively type in the same information is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this in order to find the lowest possible prices on auto insurance.
The easiest way to lower your auto insurance bill utilizes a single form that obtains quotes from several different companies. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online quotes much easier. After sending the form, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the quotes that you receive. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and buy the policy. This process takes less than 15 minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
If you want to find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in a new tab and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will have a fair comparison for similar coverage.
Can you really save $394 a year?
Consumers in Louisiana constantly see and hear ads that claim the cheapest rates by Progressive, Allstate and Geico. They all have a common claim that drivers can save some big amount just by switching your auto insurance policy to them.
Is it even possible that every company can make the same claim? Here is how they do it.
All companies quote the lowest rates for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, this type of risk profile may need to be between the ages of 30 and 45, has a clear driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates in Marksville and have a good chance to save if they switch.
Consumers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher premiums and the customer buying from a different company. The ad wording is “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” will save that much if they switch. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. Because of these techniques, it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s not possible to predict the company that will have the best premium rates.
How to lower your auto insurance costs
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with big savings.
- Safety first – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles engineered for safety reduce the chance of injuries and reduced instances of injuries means less claims paid and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your vehicle has at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may cost less to insure.
- Don’t cancel your auto insurance without a new one in place – Driving your car without having proper coverage can get your license suspended and companies may charge more for letting your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in fines or a revoked license. You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Louisiana department of motor vehicles.
- Cheaper to insure females? – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Females and males are responsible for fender benders at a similar rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get higher numbers of serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI).
- Low mileage costs less – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. A lot of insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how much you drive. Autos that sit idle most of the time cost less to insure than vehicles that have high annual mileage. It’s a good idea to make sure your auto insurance policy reflects the proper vehicle usage.
- Cheap auto insurance rates for being claim-free – Car insurance companies in Louisiana generally give lower rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- High comp and collision deductibles reduce prices – Physical damage insurance, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles state the amount of money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
Discounts for affordable auto insurance quotes
Some companies don’t list every discount they offer in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find credits that may apply to you.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers can save as much as half off their rates compared to accident prone drivers.
- Early Switch Discount – Select insurance companies give a discount for buying a policy early. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Passive Restraints – Options like air bags may earn rate discounts of 25 to 30%.
You can save money using discounts, but some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you could get a free auto insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works. But any discount will definitely lower your overall premium however.
If you would like to see a list of companies that offer the discounts shown above in Marksville, click here to view.
When should I contact an agent?
A small number of people just want to sit down and talk to an agent and doing that can be a smart decision Licensed agents can make sure you are properly covered and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is you can get cheap rate quotes and also buy local.
After filling out this short form, the coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your business. You never need to even leave your home since rate quotes are delivered directly to your email. If you need to compare prices from one company in particular, just find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.
Choosing the best insurer needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- Where are claims handled?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Marksville?
- Who are their largest clients?
- When do they do policy reviews?
If you want a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the different types of agencies and how they are distinctly different. Agents are either captive or independent. Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it is important to understand the differences since it can affect the type of agent you choose.
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be captive normally can only provide a single company’s rates and some examples include Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage. A lot of people buy from captive agents primarily because of the brand rather than low price.
The following is a short list of captive agents in Marksville willing to provide price quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 220 Tunica Dr E – Marksville, LA 71351 – (318) 253-9607
- Shelter Insurance – 226 Tunica Dr E – Marksville, LA 71351 – (318) 253-6015
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Independent insurance agents can quote rates with many companies and that allows them to write policies with multiple insurance companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If premiums increase, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, you definitely need to get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents in order to compare the most rates. They also have the ability to place coverage with different regional companies which can save you money.
The following are independent agencies in Marksville who can help you get price quotes.
- Jay Wilson Insurance – 135 Tarleton St – Marksville, LA 71351 – (318) 253-7351
- First Insurance – 121 S Main St – Marksville, LA 71351 – (318) 253-9202
To choose from more auto insurance agents in Marksville, please view this complete selection of auto insurance providers in Marksville.
Leave no stone unturned
When you , don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Cheap auto insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Marksville insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not have the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller providers only sell through independent agents.
We just showed you a lot of tips how to reduce auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the better likelihood of getting . Consumers may even find the lowest prices come from a small local company.
Even more information is located at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Louisiana drivers can get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.
Also read more on Auto Insurance 101 and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.