Scraping up a payment for expensive car insurance can eat up your bank account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a rate analysis is a fast and free way to tighten up your finances.
Multiple car insurance companies compete for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company to discover the definitive lowest cost out there.
You should take the time to compare prices as often as possible since prices change frequently. If you had the lowest rate a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to buy cheaper car insurance.
Take advantage of every car insurance discount
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available that could help you make your next renewal payment. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of purchase, but some must be manually applied before being credited. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.
- Full Payment Discount – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid the installment charge.
- E-sign Discounts</strong – Some of the larger companies will give you a small discount on the internet.
- Early Signing – A few insurance companies allow discounts for renewing your policy before your current policy expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Distant Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car could qualify for this discount.
- Senior Citizen Rates – If you’re over the age of 55, you are able to get better car insurance rates.
Discounts save money, but please remember that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To find car insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Arkansas, click this link.
Lowering your car insurance rates doesn’t have to be difficult. All that’s required is to spend a little time to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. Rate comparisons can be done using one of these methods.
- Probably the best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for every prospective company. One simple form gets insurance cost estimates from car insurance companies with the best prices.
- A different way to shop for car insurance online requires visiting each individual company website and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to compare State Farm, Safeco and Progressive. In order to compare rates, you need to go to each individual site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Vilonia, click here.
- The most time-consuming way to shop rates is actually driving to all the different Vilonia insurance agencies. Comparing rate quotes online makes this unnecessary unless you want the personal advice that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to find lower rates online but still have the advice of a local agent.
The approach you take is up to you, just make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you have different liability limits it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Vilonia.
Components of your insurance policy costs
Lots of things are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, but other criteria are more transparent like where you live or your commute time. When buying car insurance it’s important to understand a few of the rating criteria that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. If you know what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with cheaper rates.
- Never let your car insurance policy lapse – Not maintaining insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance lapse for non-payment. Not only will rates go up, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You will then be forced to file a SR-22 with the Arkansas department of motor vehicles.
- You might want pay the minor policy claims yourself – Car insurance companies in Arkansas give better rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can expect much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
- Better premiums with anti-theft devices – Driving a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping vehicle theft.
- Protect yourself with liability – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will provide protection if you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to other policy coverages, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Your employer may affect rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Jobs such as lawyerspolice officers and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and incredibly demanding work hours. On the flip side, occupations such as actors, historians and homemakers pay lower than average rates.
- Raise coverage deductibles and save – The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some coverage claims are colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, and damage from wind. The more money the insured is willing to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- Pay more by driving carelessly – Whether or not you get tickets influences premium rates substantially. Having a single driving citation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. People who have careless tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s licensing department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Gals pay lower prices – Statistics demonstrate that females tend to be a little less risky than males. Now that doesn’t mean females are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents at about the same rate, but men get into accidents with more damage. They also get higher numbers of serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI).
Local Vilonia insurance agencies and car insurance
A small number of people would rather get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is not a bad decision Insurance agents are trained risk managers and help you file claims. One of the benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain cheap car insurance quotes and still choose a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents in Vilonia who can give free rate quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to your email. If you need to get a price quote from one company in particular, you just need to search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
Picking the best company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- How long have they been in business?
Shown below are agents in Vilonia willing to provide rate quotes.
Sue Gordon Shock Insurance – 1083 Main St, Vilonia, AR 72173 – (501) 796-8233
Trent Howard Insurance – 89 Billy Goat Mountain Rd, Vilonia, AR 72173 – (501) 796-8132
Why you might not save $383 a year
Consumers in Arkansas constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings by companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the ads make the point that drivers can save some big amount if you move your policy.
How does each company offer drivers better rates? You have to listen carefully.
Companies are able to cherry pick for the type of insured that earns them the most money. For instance, a desirable risk could be between the ages of 30 and 45, has never had a claim, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” receive the lowest rate quotes and will also cut their rates if they switch.
Consumers who do not meet those criteria will see a higher rate which results in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The wording the ads use say “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save money. That’s the way companies can make it sound like they have such great auto insurance rates. Different companies use different criteria so you should compare quotes as often as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know the company that will fit you best based on your risk profile.
Final thoughts
Budget-conscious car insurance is possible from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies may not have rate quotes online and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.
We just presented a lot of techniques to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding . Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
Arkansas insurance information
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Arkansas Insurance Department website. Arkansas consumers can report car insurance fraud, read industry bulletins, view agent and company licensing information, and download brochures.