Are you kicking yourself for buying overpriced auto insurance? Don’t feel bad because there are lots of people in the same boat. Having so many different company options, it’s difficult to choose the lowest price insurer.
It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes before your next renewal because auto insurance prices change quite often. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal a couple years back there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance online, but in this article, you’re going to get some of the best techniques to save money.
Finding affordable coverage in Guntersville is not that difficult. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Alabama consumers just need to understand how to get comparison rates online.
The best way we recommend to compare insurance rates in your area is to realize auto insurance companies have advanced systems to provide you with a free rate quote. The only thing you need to do is give them some information including whether you drive to work or school, an estimate of your credit level, types of safety features, and driver details. That information gets transmitted to all major companies and you should receive rate quotes very quickly.
To compare rates now, click here and enter the information requested.
You have control over your auto insurance prices
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing a few of the rating criteria that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. If you understand what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find lower auto insurance prices.
The factors shown below are some of the items utilized by car insurance companies to help set prices.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are quite a few extra coverages that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, death and dismemberment, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea when deciding what coverages you need, but if you have no use for them get rid of them and save.
- Females tend to be lower risk – Statistics have proven that females take fewer risks when driving. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. Both sexes are in fender benders in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage and thus pay the highest rates.
- Your liability coverage limits – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you when you are ruled to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- Keep prices low by being claim-free – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Insurance companies in Alabama provide the lowest premiums to people who are claim-free. Your car insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
Discount Guntersville auto insurance rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available that may help make it more affordable. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of quoting, but some discounts are required to be asked about prior to receiving the credit.
- Low Mileage – Driving less could qualify for better prices on cars that stay parked.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get lower prices if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Defensive Driver – Passing a class that teaches safe driver techniques may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
- Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
Large auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- State Farm may offer discounts for driver’s education, passive restraint, good driver, accident-free, student away at school, and anti-theft.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include multi-policy, safety features, hybrid vehicle, multi-car, newly married, and newly retired.
- American Family offers discounts including bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, mySafetyValet, and good driver.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for youthful driver, mature driver, good student, early shopping, and teen driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for multi-policy, group or association, company car, mature driver, safe vehicle, paid in full, and anti-theft.
- SAFECO has discounts for safe driver, teen safe driver, anti-theft, teen safety rewards, and multi-car.
If you need lower rates, check with every insurance company to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply in your area.
Getting quotes from local Guntersville auto insurance agents
A small number of people still prefer to get advice from a local agent and that can be a great decision Good insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you may find better rates and still buy from a local agent.
After filling out this quick form, the coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Guntersville who will gladly provide quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no reason to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. In the event you want to quote rates from one company in particular, you can always search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
Deciding on an company is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. Here are some questions to ask:
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
If you would like to find a good Guntersville insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the different agency structures and how they operate. Guntersville agents are either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types of agents can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences since it may influence which type of agent you select.
Captive Agencies
Captive insurance agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are highly trained on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Below is a short list of captive agents in Guntersville that are able to give price quote information.
Allstate Insurance – 1024 Blount Ave – Guntersville, AL 35976 – (256) 582-9263
Farm Bureau Insurance – 456 Gunter Ave – Guntersville, AL 35976 – (256) 582-1453
State Farm Insurance – 509 Blount Ave – Guntersville, AL 35976 – (256) 582-3376
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are appointed with more than one company so they can write business with lots of companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If prices rise, the business is moved internally which is easy for the insured.
When comparison shopping, you definitely need to include rate quotes from a few independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Guntersville who can help you get comparison quotes.
Woodall and Hoggle Insurance – 1600 Blount Ave – Guntersville, AL 35976 – (256) 582-2131
Pierce J Harris Insurance – 1246 Gunter Ave – Guntersville, AL 35976 – (256) 582-3250
To view additional licensed insurance agents in Guntersville, see this list of insurance agencies in Guntersville, AL.
Online plus local equals savings
You just learned a lot of ways to save on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a small mutual company. They may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
When you , it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced full coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More Alabama auto insurance information
Even more information is available at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find a variety of consumer forms, and find out which companies have the most complaints.