Comparing can be complicated if you are one of the many people who have never used online rate quotes. But keep reading because finding more affordable rates is easier than you think.
Finding the best rates in Snowflake is quite easy. Essentially everyone who is required by state law to have auto insurance should be able to save money. But Arizona vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies sell insurance online.
More affordable rates by getting discounts
Some companies do not list all possible discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts you could be receiving when you . If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Active or former government employment may reduce rates when you with some auto insurance companies.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control can stop better under adverse conditions so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds who allow companies to look at driving habits by installing a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military may lower your premium rates slightly.
- Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can avoid the installment charge.
- Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies provide a discount for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
As a footnote on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
A list of auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- State Farm has savings for passive restraint, multiple policy, anti-theft, good driver, safe vehicle, and multiple autos.
- American Family offers discounts for bundled insurance, multi-vehicle, accident-free, defensive driver, and early bird.
- Geico may offer discounts for air bags, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, military active duty, and anti-theft.
- 21st Century has discounts for air bags, good student, theft prevention, automatic seat belts, early bird, defensive driver, and homeowners.
- Progressive discounts include online quote discount, online signing, multi-policy, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
If you want , ask every insurance company how many discounts you can get. All car insurance discounts may not be available everywhere. To locate insurers that offer multiple discounts in Snowflake, follow this link.
How to lower your auto insurance premiums
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the factors that aid in calculating your premiums. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.
Listed below are some of the things companies use to determine your prices.
- High comp and collision deductibles equal low rates – Deductibles for physical damage state the amount of money you are required to spend if the claim is covered. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and damage from wind. The more expense you have to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- What are good liability protection limits? – Liability insurance is the protection when a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. This coverage provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Your spouse saves you money – Your spouse may cut your premiums on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse translates into being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Lower performance equals lower insurance costs – The performance of the car or truck you need insurance for makes a significant difference in your rates. Smaller low performance passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
When to get professional advice
When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For example, these questions might help in determining if you could use an agent’s help.
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Arizona?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Insurance agents near you
Some people still like to buy from a licensed agent. A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you can get lower rates and still choose a local agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the quote information is transmitted to participating agents in Snowflake who will return price quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You don’t have to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to you. You can find better rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If for some reason you want to get a price quote from a specific auto insurance provider, feel free to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Choosing the best insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be willing to answer these questions.
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Which family members are covered?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Does the agent recommend any additional coverage?
If you want to use a local Snowflake insurance agent, there are two different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Insurance agencies in Snowflake are either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Captive Agencies
Agents that elect to be captive write business for a single company like Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. They are trained well on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently choose to use a captive agent primarily because of loyalty to the company instead of buying on price only.
Below is a list of captive agents in Snowflake that are able to give price quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 932 S Main St # B – Snowflake, AZ 85937 – (928) 536-2400
Independent Agents
Agents that elect to be independent do not write with just one company so they have the ability to put coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, they can switch companies in-house which requires no work on your part. When comparison shopping, you absolutely need to get rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most independent agents also contract with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates.
Listed below are independent agencies in Snowflake that can give you price quotes.
- Shumway Insurance – 895 S Main St – Snowflake, AZ 85937 – (928) 536-6600
To view more licensed insurance agents in Snowflake, you can see this list of Snowflake insurance agents.
After receiving acceptable answers to these questions as well as a price you’re happy with, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that meets the criteria to insure your vehicles.
Auto insurance advertisements
Big name companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television, radio, and online ads. All the companies say the same thing that people will save if you change to them. It sounds good, but how can they all charge you less for car insurance? This is the way they can do it.
Many companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. For example, this type of driver could possibly be over the age of 45, has a low-risk occupation, and drives newer vehicles. Anybody who matches those parameters may get the lowest car insurance rates in Snowflake and is almost guaranteed to save a lot if they switch.
Potential customers who cannot meet this stringent profile will probably be forced to pay higher rates which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick companies use is to say “people that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save the amount stated. That’s the way companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, you really need to do a rate comparison at every renewal. It is just not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you lower car insurance rates than your current company.
To learn even more about auto insurance
More detailed Arizona auto insurance information is available at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Arizona consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, view agent and company licensing information, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Compare but don’t skimp
We covered a lot of information how to reduce auto insurance premium rates online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.
Drivers switch companies for a number of reasons such as being labeled a high risk driver, policy cancellation, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company is less work than it seems.
Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web and also from your neighborhood Snowflake agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers may not have online quoting and usually these small insurance companies prefer to sell through local independent agents.