Hammond, LA Auto Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Sick and tired of not being able to afford to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers in Louisiana. Numerous car insurance companies battle for your insurance dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a provider and get the best coverage at the best rates possible.

It’s important to shop coverage around at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates go up and down regularly. Even if you got the lowest rates last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the things you must know in order to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Hammond

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with agents in Hammond, or you can stay home and use the internet to get pricing more quickly.

Many companies enroll in a system where prospective buyers send in one quote, and at least one company then returns a price quote based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here (opens in new window).

The only drawback to using this type of form is buyers cannot specifically choose which insurance companies to receive prices from. So if you want to select individual companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in Louisiana. Click to view list.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using identical coverages and limits on every quote you get. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to make an equal comparison in Hammond.

Advertising myths

Consumers in Louisiana get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies make the same claim of big savings if you move your policy.save money image

How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile must pay more money and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can state the savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Cut your premium with discounts

Companies do not advertise every available discount very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.

  • Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
  • No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
  • One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
  • Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if you qualify.
  • College Student – Kids in college who live away from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Hammond, click this link.

What is the best insurance coverage?

When buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation may require specific advice.

  • Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Louisiana?
  • What is the minimum liability in Louisiana?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
  • Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
  • Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Hammond?

If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

free Hammond LA insurance quote

More detailed Louisiana auto insurance information can be read at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Louisiana drivers can learn about specific coverages, get help finding coverage, and discover disciplinary actions.

The following articles may also be useful.

More effort can pay off

When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

You just read quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.