I can’t think of a single person who cherishes buying car insurance, particularly when the cost is way too high.
Drivers have so many car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to get the best deal.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Trussville, AL
All major car insurance companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive provide coverage price quotes directly from their websites. Getting online rates is pretty painless as you just enter your required coverages as detailed in the form. After you complete the form, the company’s rating system automatically orders credit information and your driving record and returns a price quote based on many factors. Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step in order to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.
A less time-consuming method to find better car insurance pricing requires only one form that obtains quotes from several companies at one time. It’s a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes online price comparison much simpler. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the pricing results. If you find a better price you can click and sign and buy the new coverage. It takes 15 minutes at the most and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To quickly find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in a new tab and submit the form. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended that you enter your coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this assures you will be getting an apples-to-apples comparison based on similar coverages.
Discounts are available to cut your rates
Companies do not advertise all their discounts very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Trussville may trigger a car insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
- Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Driver Safety – Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck.
To see a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Trussville, click this link.
How insurance companies determine rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.
Listed below are some of the factors that factor into premiums.
- More performance means more cost – The performance of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles receive the most favorable rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Too many car insurance claims drive up costs – Companies in Alabama give discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for larger claims.
- Your location affects your rates – Living in a rural area is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Fewer drivers means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most insurance companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your car insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.
Local Trussville agents and car insurance
A small number of people prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you may find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to companies in Trussville who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.
Selecting an insurance company should depend on more than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
Do you need an independent or captive insurance agency?
If you’re trying to find local Trussville agents, there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
The following are Trussville independent agents willing to provide price quotes.
Best Insurance Inc – 122 N Chalkville Rd – Trussville, AL 35173 – (205) 655-2128
Cahaba Insurance – 11 Office Park – Trussville, AL 35173 – (205) 655-4626
David Mc Cullough Agency – 8178 Gadsden Hwy – Trussville, AL 35173 – (205) 655-6339
Grogan Agency – 7018 Gadsden Hwy # 120 – Trussville, AL 35173 – (205) 655-5386
For a full directory of insurance agents in Trussville, visit this site.
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to these questions and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that will adequately provide car insurance.
More detailed Alabama car insurance information can be read at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Alabama consumers can view a list of available companies, learn about specific coverages, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other useful links include QuoteClickInsure.com and this page where you can research Trussville insurance agents.
Quote more, save more
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.