Finding more affordable premium rates for Hueytown auto insurance can be difficult for people who are beginners to comparing prices online. Drivers have so many agents and companies to choose from that it can quickly become a chore to locate the lowest premium rates.
It’s a great practice to do price comparisons every six months since insurance prices are variable and change quite frequently. Just because you found the best deal six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate quote today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the only way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
Getting more affordable auto insurance pricing can be relatively painless. Consumers just need to take a few minutes to get quotes from online providers. It’s really simple and can be done using one of these methods.
- If you’re in a hurry, the quickest way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quotes for each price estimate. Completing one form gets coverage cost estimates from many national carriers. This is by far the quickest method.
- A less efficient way to compare rate quotes consists of going to each company website to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to get rates from Geico, 21st Century and Farmers. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site and repeatedly enter your information, which is not fast way to get rate quotes. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Hueytown, click here.
Compare rates however you want, just try to keep nearly identical coverage data on every quote you get. If the quotes have different coverage information it’s impossible to determine the best price in Hueytown.
Lower rate quotes by taking advantage of discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of some of the more common and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some larger companies give discounts for switching to them early. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could save nearly 15% which can help you find .
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a course that instructs on driving safety could save 5% or more and make you a better driver.
- Active Military Service – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better premium rates.
- Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles may allow you to get lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
Some of the insurance companies that possibly offer many of the previously listed discounts may include but are not limited to:
When quoting, ask each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. A few discounts may not apply in Hueytown.
How much auto insurance do I need?
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Get more affordable premiums by understanding these factors
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, but other criteria are more obscure such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.
The itemized list below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate your prices.
- Get a ticket, pay higher rates – How you drive impacts premiums far more than you think. Just one driving citation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers get better prices as compared to those with violations. Drivers who have gotten multiple violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Insurance costs and driver gender – Statistics have proven that females tend to be a little less risky than males. The data does not necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Both genders tend to get into auto accidents at about the same rate, but men have accidents that have higher claims. Not only that, but men also receive more major tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male teenagers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Lower rates for married couples – Being married may earn you lower rates on your auto insurance bill. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and responsible and insurance companies like that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
- Save money by having high credit – An insured’s credit history is a big factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Drivers with high credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with worse credit. If your credit history leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your vehicle if you improve your credit rating.
- Premiums drop with age – Young drivers in Alabama tend to be inattentive when at the wheel of a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a inexperienced driver onto your auto insurance can be very expensive. Older, more experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
- Vehicle features that lower premiums – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart vehicle theft.
- Higher auto insurance rates for tough jobs – Do you work in a high-stress field? Occupations like doctorsair traffic controllers and miners generally pay higher average rates in part from intense work situations and long work hours. Conversely, careers like actors, students and homemakers have the lowest average rates.
- Only buy incidental coverages you need – There are a lot of optional add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying but may not be useful. Coverage for things like rental car coverage, accident forgiveness, and Farm Bureau memberships are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when discussing your needs, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so get rid of them and save.
Big brands don’t always mean big savings
Consumers can’t escape the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by State Farm and Allstate. All the companies state the claim that drivers will save a bundle if you move your coverage to them.
It sounds good, but how can they all sell you cheaper insurance coverage? It’s all in how they say it.
Most companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. An example of a desirable risk might be described as over the age of 35, has few claims, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any person who matches that profile gets the lowest premium rates and will most likely save some money.
Consumers who fall outside the “perfect” profile will probably be forced to pay higher premium rates and this can result in the customer buying from a different company. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those statements.
This really emphasizes why you absolutely need to compare rate quotes every year. It’s just not possible to know which insurance companies will be your best fit.
More effort can pay off
We covered many tips how you can save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the most savings is with the least-expected company.
As you , never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Discount auto insurance can be sourced online and from local insurance agents, so get from both of them 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 sell through local independent agents.
Find out more about auto insurance
Much more information about auto insurance in Alabama can be found on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, learn about specific coverages, and find out industry alerts.
Other informative sites include these car insurance answers and this page of insurance agents in Hueytown.