Are you sick and tired of being strong-armed to insure your vehicles every month? You are in the same boat as many other Utah consumers. Drivers have multiple car insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
Buy Cheaper Car Insurance with These Tips
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.
- Don’t skimp on liability – Liability coverage is the protection when you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- Males pay more for insurance – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes have accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Traffic citations inflate rates – A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Careful drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. If you have flagrant violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
- What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Low performance passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Poor credit can mean higher rates – Credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit is low, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
- High numbers of claims are not good – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in Utah award better rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Discounts for married couples – Having a spouse helps lower the price on car insurance. Marriage translates into being more mature and responsible and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving your car without having proper coverage is illegal and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Hurricane, Utah
Cutting your Hurricane car insurance rates is actually quite simple. You just need to spend a little time to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.
- Probably the best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every car insurance company. One quote request will return quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
- A slightly less efficient method to get comparison quotes requires a trip to each company website and complete a new quote form. For instance, let’s say you want rates from Nationwide, 21st Century and Allstate. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Hurricane, click here.
- The least efficient method of getting rate comparisons is driving to different Hurricane agent offices. The internet eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the personal advice of a local Hurricane agent. However, consumers can compare online quotes but buy from a local insurance agent.
Whichever way you use, ensure you’re using exactly the same information with every price quote. If you have different liability limits it will be impossible to find the best deal in Hurricane.
How can Allstate, Geico and Progressive save drivers who switch?
Utah consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance from companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you move your policy.
How does each company make almost identical claims?
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for these standards will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can make those claims.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-70.jpg" alt="Hurricane insurance quotes” />
That is why you should get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
These discounts can lower your rates
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some must be asked for before being credited. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Good Student – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.
For a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Hurricane, click here.
What happened to insurance agents?
Some people would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting local agencies is definitely important in Hurricane.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to companies in Hurricane who will battle to get your business. There is no reason to drive around as quotes are delivered to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
To view licensed agents in Hurricane, click here to link.
Choosing a company shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Once you have received good answers to these questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance company that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
More information can be found on the website for the Utah Insurance Department located here. Utah consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, report car insurance fraud, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.
Other informative sites include this resource for Utah car insurance prices and this link where you can make Hurricane car insurance comparisons.
Shop smart and save
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Cheap car insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many Hurricane insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.