No one likes paying for car insurance, especially when they are paying too much.
Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Geico and Allstate all claim big savings with advertising and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
It is always a good idea to compare prices periodically because prices go up and down regularly. If you had the best rates a couple years back you can probably find a better price now. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to show you the fastest way to find cheap Arizona car insurance rates while increasing coverage.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to save some money using these methods. Finding the best rates in Tempe is quite easy. Nevertheless, Arizona drivers can benefit from knowing the way insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.
Comprehensive Tempe Car Insurance Comparison
Comparing car insurance rates is a ton of work if you don’t utilize the fastest way to get free quotes. You could waste a few hours discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in Tempe, or you could save time and use online quoting to get prices fast.
Most major companies enroll in a system that enables customers to complete one form, and each participating company returns a competitive quote. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each company.
To participate in this free quote system, click here to open in new window.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify the providers you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Arizona. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use identical quote information for every company. If your comparisons have differing limits you can’t possibly make a fair comparison in Tempe. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, quoting more will enable you to find a lower rate.
More discounts equal less premium
Car insurance is not cheap, but you may find discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but some must be inquired about before being credited.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Good Student – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
- No Charge for an Accident – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
- Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- College Student – Any of your kids living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your premiums.
To choose insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Arizona, click here to view.
Car Insurance through a local agent
Some people just want to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you may find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting small agencies is definitely important in Tempe.
Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to companies in Tempe who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! Get lower rates AND a local agent.
Captive and independent Tempe car insurance agents
If you’re trying to find a good Tempe insurance agent, there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Agents are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.
Below are independent insurance agents in Tempe willing to provide competitive price quotes.
Richard Utter Agency Inc – 2033 E Warner Rd # 101 – Tempe, AZ 85284 – (480) 831-8668
Action-Russo Insurance – 5777 S Rural Rd # 2 – Tempe, AZ 85283 – (480) 345-7226
R L Copeland Agency Inc – 700 E Baseline Rd # C-1 – Tempe, AZ 85283 – (480) 893-9474
Auto Insurance America – 1438 N Scottsdale Rd – Tempe, AZ 85281 – (480) 668-9100
Geoffrey D Gross Agency Inc – 7520 S Rural Rd # A5 – Tempe, AZ 85283 – (480) 820-0077
Captive Agents
This type of agents work for only one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. These agents receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below is a list of captive agencies in Tempe who can help you get comparison quotes.
Farmers Insurance Group – 1435 E Guadalupe Rd – Tempe, AZ 85283 – (480) 969-3001
Allstate Insurance Co – 4625 S Ash Ave # J-19 – Tempe, AZ 85282 – (480) 730-1274
State Farm Insurance – 7650 S Mcclintock Dr # 105 – Tempe, AZ 85284 – (480) 491-1007
American Family Insurance – 8830 S Kyrene Rd # 102 – Tempe, AZ 85284 – (480) 705-7496
To view a complete directory of captive agents in Tempe, go to this page.
Selecting an insurance agency requires more thought than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
After receiving reasonable responses to your questions as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.
Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- High crash test scores lower rates – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
- Where you live can impact rates – Living in small towns and rural areas can save you money when talking about car insurance. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Urban drivers have traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. More time commuting means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – Companies in Arizona give better rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks
Car insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings if you switch your policy. How does each company claim to save you money?
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and drives newer vehicles. A customer who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who do not match the requirements will have to pay higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.
Because of the profiling, drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
One last thing
We just presented some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
The cheapest car insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Tempe insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
Some additional reading
Much more information about car insurance in Arizona can be found on the website for the Arizona Department of Insurance found here. Arizona drivers can learn about insurance regulations, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and learn about specific coverages.
Other informative sites include this site for Arizona car insurance information and this list of insurance agents in Tempe.