High-priced car insurance can draw down your savings and possibly require postponing other expenditures. Price shopping at each renewal is free and is an excellent way to lower your bills every month.
Because you have many insurance providers from which to choose, it can be challenging to pick the best car insurance provider.
How to shop car insurance online
Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can spend your afternoon talking about coverages with insurance agencies in Jasper, or you can utilize the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Most of the best insurance companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company can provide price quotes based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests for every car insurance company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is that consumers can’t choose which providers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have a page of low cost car insurance companies in Alabama. View list of Alabama insurance companies.
It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure you’re using apples-to-apples coverages for each quote you get. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to determine which company has the best rates in Jasper. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that more quotes increases the change that you will find more affordable insurance. Not every company does prices over the internet, so you also need to get quotes from them as well.
Cheaper rates with discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you might already qualify for some discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Membership in Organizations – Being in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
- Student in College – who attend college more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Responsible Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Renewal Discounts – Some car insurance companies provide a discount for switching policies prior to the expiration date on your current policy. The savings is around 10%.
- Claim-Free Discount – Jasper drivers who stay claim-free get the best car insurance rates in comparison with frequent claim filers.
One last thing about discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride.
Companies and some of the discounts include:
- Geico may offer discounts for five-year accident-free, air bags, federal employee, anti-theft, and seat belt use.
- MetLife discounts include defensive driver, good driver, accident-free, claim-free, good student, and multi-policy.
- Progressive includes discounts for homeowner, online signing, good student, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
- Travelers offers discounts including IntelliDrive, continuous insurance, multi-car, hybrid/electric vehicle, and new car.
- SAFECO offers premium reductions for homeowner, anti-lock brakes, teen safe driver, drive less, and bundle discounts.
- AAA may include discounts for AAA membership discount, multi-policy, education and occupation, good driver, and pay-in-full.
If you want , ask each company or agent which discounts can lower your rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply everywhere. To locate insurance companies who offer cheap car insurance quotes in Alabama, click here to view.
Smart buyers know how to buy car insurance at a discount
Lots of factors are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are not as apparent like where you live and annual miles driven.
- Vocation stress can make you pay more – Jobs such as fire fighters, executives and miners generally have higher rates than average due to intense work situations and incredibly demanding work hours. Conversely, careers such as actors, students and retirees pay the least.
- Car plus home equals more savings – Lots of car insurance companies allow better rates to insureds who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
- Where you call home is a factor – Living in a rural area can save you money when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people corresponds to lower accident rates and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers have to deal with congested traffic and higher rates of accident claims. More time behind the wheel means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
- How many miles do you drive? – The more you drive your car in a year’s time the higher your rate. Most companies calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. It’s a smart idea to ensure your car insurance coverage is rated on the right rating data, because it can save money.
What is the best car insurance coverage?
When choosing coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
- Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
- If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
- What are the best liability limits?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Much more information about car insurance in Alabama can be read on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance found here. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.
Do you really save 40% when you switch?
Car insurance providers like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the companies seem to make the promise that you can save if you get a free and switch your car insurance policy to them. How does each company offer you a better deal? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies require specific criteria for the driver that will add to their bottom line. For instance, a desirable risk may be over age 30, has a clear driving record, and has excellent credit. Any customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest auto insurance rates in Jasper and have a good chance to save a lot of money.
People who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile may be forced to pay higher prices and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the way they do.
This really illustrates why it is so important to quote coverage with many companies. Because you cannot predict which car insurance company will provide the lowest auto insurance rates.
Do the work, save more money
When you , it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Budget-conscious car insurance is definitely available both online and with local Jasper insurance agents, so you need to with both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers may not have price quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers only sell through independent agents.