Finding affordable Paradise Valley car insurance is always nearly impossible for people who are new to comparing rates online. Drivers have so many options that it can quickly become more work than you anticipated to find the best price in Paradise Valley.
It’s a great practice to get comparison quotes every six months because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you think you had the lowest price two years ago you may be paying too much now. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance on the internet, so we’re going to give you some proven techniques to save money.
Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss
Auto insurance companies don’t list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
- Distant Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Paperless Signup – A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on their website.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better car insurance rates.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
- Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Paradise Valley can save you money because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in Paradise Valley, follow this link.
Buying car insurance locally
Certain consumers just want to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! Licensed agents can help determine the best coverages and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents who will battle to get your business. You never need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Picking a company should depend on more than just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
Choose the right auto insurance agent
If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Paradise Valley are either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can write coverage properly, but it’s worth learning the differences because it can influence the selection process.
Agency Captives
This type of agents work for only one company like Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from captives partially due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
The following are Paradise Valley captive insurance agents who may provide you with rate quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 10243 N Scottsdale Rd # 1 – Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 – (480) 922-8372
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.
When searching for an agent, you should always include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.Many can place coverage with smaller regional carriers which can be an advantage.
Below is a short list of independent agents in Paradise Valley who can help you get price quote information.
- New Concepts Insurance – 10243 N Scottsdale Rd # 4 – Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 – (480) 991-3062
For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Paradise Valley, visit this site.
Once you have received acceptable answers to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that can adequately provide car insurance.
Car insurance coverage breakdown
Knowing the specifics of your policy can help you determine which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
Liability
Liability coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things such as bail bonds, medical expenses, court costs and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible. Arizona state minimum liability requirements are 15,000/30,000/10,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle caused by collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 15/30/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Comprehensive coverage
This coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from getting keyed, damage from flooding, fire damage and vandalism. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time 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.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses for X-ray expenses, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your 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
More detailed Arizona car insurance information can be read at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.
In conclusion
Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including poor customer service, high prices, policy non-renewal or even delays in responding to claim requests. Whatever your reason, switching car insurance companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
Budget-conscious car insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Paradise Valley insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.