How to Know You’re Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Pineville, LA

Confused by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Pineville? Lot’s of other consumers are too. There are so many options available that it can easily become a real hassle to find the lowest price.

Consumers should take time to compare rates yearly because rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we’re going to show you the tricks you need to know to save on auto insurance.

Auto Insurance Prices in Pineville

There are multiple methods to compare auto insurance prices but there is one way that is less time-consuming than others. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Pineville, or you could save time and use online quotes to maximize your effort.

All the larger companies belong to an insurance system where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and each company returns a competitive quote based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to every company. To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.

The only downside to using this type of system is that consumers can’t choose which carriers you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of low cost auto insurance companies in Louisiana. Click to view list.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Pineville.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

Companies do not list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if you qualify.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
  • Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Sign Early and Save – Select companies give a discount for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Pineville can save you money because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
  • Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Life Insurance – Some companies give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
  • Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.

It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Pineville, click here.

Quote online but still have a local agent

Some consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Educated insurance agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. The best thing about getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the best rates and still choose a local agent.free Pineville Louisiana insurance quote

After filling out this simple form, the quote information is emailed to companies in Pineville who will compete to get your business. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to your email. How cool is that?!

Deciding on an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

  • What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
  • Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
  • Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
  • Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
  • Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
  • Are there any discounts that you might be missing?

Different types of Pineville insurance agents

If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be independent or captive. Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they are different because it can influence your agent selection.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents write business for a single company and examples are Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents primarily because of the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.

Below are captive agencies in Pineville that are able to give comparison quotes.

  • Allstate Insurance – 212 Griffith St – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 619-9000
  • Shelter Insurance – 1707 Henry St – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 767-0193
  • Farm Bureau Insurance – 308 Griffith St – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 619-9090
  • State Farm Insurance – 4624 Shreveport Hwy – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 640-2693
Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.

Listed below is a short list of independent agencies in Pineville that can give you comparison quotes.

  • Davis Garvin Agency – 2901 Highway 28 E # E – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 619-9484
  • Hymie Bradford Agency – 1705 Gibbons St # B – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 487-1991
  • American Interstate Insurance – 313 Manderville Rd – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 641-0038
  • Bill DC Bates Agency Inc – 704 Main St – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 445-3627
  • Woodmen Of The World Insurance – 906 Executive Ct – Pineville, LA 71360 – (318) 484-9696

For a full directory of Pineville insurance agents, click here to link.

Once you have acceptable answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy.

Educated Consumers Know How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

free Pineville Louisiana insurance quote

  • Younger drivers pay higher rates – Young drivers in Louisiana are known to get distracted easily when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Adding a youthful driver onto your auto insurance can break the bank. More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Pay less if you’re married – Having a spouse actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
  • Adjust deductibles and save – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • Occupation reflects on rates – Occupations like real estate brokers, business owners and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from job stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, professions such as pilots, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Never go without insurance – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse will be a quick way to pay more for auto insurance. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage might get you a license revocation or jail time.You may have to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Louisiana department of motor vehicles.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.

More quotes mean more savings

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with the least-expected company.

Cheap auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Pineville insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped full coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Additional resources for Louisiana consumers

More detailed Louisiana auto insurance information is available at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Louisiana consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, find a variety of consumer forms, and find out industry alerts.

Also read more on NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this link where you can make Pineville auto insurance comparisons.