Sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Louisiana consumers.
You have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, it can be more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.
You need to check auto insurance prices occasionally because prices tend to go up over time. Just because you found the lowest rates two years ago you may be paying too much now. Don’t believe everything you read about auto insurance on the web, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn the best ways to buy auto insurance cheaper.
Finding the best auto insurance in Gonzales is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, everyone who is shopping for auto insurance will most likely be able to find lower rates. But Louisiana consumers do need to know how insurance companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.
How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Gonzales, LA
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can take time and effort if you don’t utilize the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste hours driving to insurance agencies in Gonzales, or you can utilize online quoting to get prices fast.
Many of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and at least one company then gives them pricing determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each individual auto insurance company.
To participate in this free quote system, click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose which carriers you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in Louisiana. View list of Louisiana insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using identical deductibles and coverage limits for each price quote. If you use different liability limits it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Gonzales. Slightly different limits could mean much higher rates. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that more quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price.
Be sure to get all your discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but some must be inquired about before being credited.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- E-sign – Certain companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
- No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in school.
- Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your premiums.
For a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Louisiana, click here.
Gonzales Rates are Influenced by These Factors
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better auto insurance rates.
- Men pay higher rates – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. They both are in accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage. They also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Discounts for married couples – Getting married actually saves money on your policy. It translates into being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Multi-policy discounts can save money – Some companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
- Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
How do I know if I need professional advice?
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required Louisiana minimum liability coverage?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
- Is Louisiana a no-fault state?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- What is the minimum liability in Louisiana?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
More information can be found on the website for the Louisiana Department of Insurance located here. Louisiana drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.
Misconceptions in auto insurance advertisements
Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads on television and other media. They all make an identical promise about savings if you change to their company. How can each company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk could be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards will be charged higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can advertise the way they do.
That is why drivers must compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.
One last thing about your coverage
Cost effective auto insurance is possible on the web and with local Gonzales insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to shop for auto insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Progressive and Geico.