Buying affordable Craig car insurance on the internet can seem to be rather challenging for people who are new to buying insurance online. When there are so many insurance companies available, how can Craig drivers even start to compare them all to find the best available price?
It’s important to price shop coverage periodically due to the fact that insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you got the best deal last year you will most likely find a better rate today. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the right way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Craig, AK
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the easiest way. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with agents in Craig, or you could use online quotes to quickly compare rates.
Most major companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and each participating company returns a competitive quote. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to open in new window.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is that consumers can’t choose the insurers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare prices, we have a listing of low cost car insurance companies in Alaska. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverages for every quote you compare. If each company quotes unequal deductibles or liability limits you can’t possibly decipher which rate is best in Craig.
Discounts are basically free money
Car insurance companies don’t list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- Memberships – Belonging to a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
To choose providers offering car insurance discounts in Alaska, follow this link.
Lower your Craig Car Insurance Rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.
- Where do you drive? – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
- Do men or women drive better? – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. They both are in accidents at a similar rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Traffic citations inflate rates – Even one moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. If you have dangerous violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Special features that cut premiums – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
- Drive a safer car and pay less – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
- Marriage brings a discount – Getting married helps lower the price on car insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more responsible and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Local Craig agents and car insurance
Some people just want to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
Once you complete this quick form, the coverage information is sent to participating agents in Craig who will give you bids for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!
Deciding on an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a low price. These questions are important to ask:
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Best car insurance agent in Craig
When finding an insurance agent, there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Craig agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can impact buying decisions.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents can only write with one company such as State Farm or Allstate. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Some people will only buy from captive agents partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, we recommend you include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.Many can place coverage with smaller companies which can be an advantage.
Listed below are Craig independent insurance agencies who can help you get price quote information.
- Davies-Barry Insurance – 330 Cold Storage Rd – Craig, AK 99921 – (907) 826-2922
To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Craig, simply jump to this page.
Once you have received answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and a good coverage price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
What coverages do I need?
When it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.
- Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Alaska Division of Insurance website. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and find disaster information.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Alaska drivers constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings by Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you’ll save big if you move to their company.
But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer they prefer to insure. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who don’t meet these standards will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can claim big savings. This emphasizes why you need to get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Do the work, save more money
When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.
We covered many tips how you can shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
Affordable car insurance can be sourced on the web as well as from independent agents in Craig, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers don’t offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.