Have you finally had enough of trying to scrape together enough money to make your auto insurance payment? You are no different than most other vehicle owners in Alabama. Online insurance companies like Geico, Progressive and Allstate persitently shower you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Finding the best rates in Sylacauga is easy if you know what you’re doing. But Alabama drivers need to learn the way companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.
When looking for , there are a couple ways to compare quotes from companies that offer auto insurance in Alabama. The recommended way to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by using one of the methods below.
- The most recommended method to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This method eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. Taking the time to complete one form gets coverage cost estimates from many national carriers.
- A different way to compare prices requires you to visit the website for each individual company and go through the quote process again. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare Progressive, Allstate and Geico. To find out each rate you need to spend time going to each site individually to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which explains why we recommend starting with the first method. For a list of companies in Sylacauga, click here.
- If you have time to kill, the last method to comparison shop is to waste gas driving to and from local insurance agencies. Doing it all online makes this process obsolete unless you require the trained advice only provided by licensed agents. Although you can price shop your coverage online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.
However you get your quotes, make sure you use the exact same coverages with every price quote. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to make a fair comparison in Sylacauga. Just slight variations in insurance coverages or limits could skew the results. Keep in mind that comparing more quotes helps locate lower pricing. Some companies don’t provide rate quotes online, so it’s important to compare rates on coverage from those companies, too.
Big names are not always cheapest
Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the companies try to convey promises that you’ll save big if you switch to them. How do they all have lower policy pricing? You have to listen carefully.
Companies quote their best rates for the right customer that earns them the highest profit. For example, a profitable insured could be married and over the age of 30, has no driving citations, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. Someone that fits those parameters receives the best premium rates and will also pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential customers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile may receive higher prices and this results in the customer buying from a different company. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. This is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.
This really illustrates why drivers should compare price quotes frequently. It is impossible to guess the company that will be your best fit.
Learn how to lower your auto insurance costs
Lots of things are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious like an MVR report, although others are more transparent like where you live or your commute time. Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines premiums, this enables informed choices that may reward you with lower rates.
Listed below are some of the major factors that factor into prices.
- Safety first – Safer cars cost less to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies which can result in lower premiums. If your car has ratings of a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Is you employer costing you more? – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Careers such as lawyersair traffic controllers and medical professionals have higher premium rates due to high stress levels and extremely grueling work hours. On the other hand, professions such as farmers, students and the unemployed get better rates.
- Can a thief steal your car? – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your premiums. Theft prevention features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar help track and prevent vehicle theft.
- Where do you drive? – Driving a lot of miles each year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies rate vehicles based upon how much you drive. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. It’s always a good idea to double check that your auto insurance policy states how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Marriage discount – Walking down the aisle can get you a discount when shopping for auto insurance. It demonstrates that you tend to be more responsible and statistics prove married couples file fewer claims.
- Accidents are costly – Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Just one chargable violation could increase your next policy renewal by as much as twenty percent. Drivers unfortunate enough to have dangerous violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find that they have to to complete a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
Auto insurance discounts help lower rates
Some providers don’t always list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using when you .
- Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment rather than spreading payments over time you could save 5% or more.
- Theft Deterent System – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices prevent vehicle theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- Online Discount – Some auto insurance companies will provide an incentive for completing your application on your computer.
- Discount for Good Grades – This discount may save you up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students until age 25.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not really a discount, but companies like Geico, State Farm, and Progressive may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
Please keep in mind that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you aren’t that lucky. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce your auto insurance premiums.
A few of the larger companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.
- State Farm discounts include good driver, safe vehicle, multiple autos, driver’s education, good student, and multiple policy.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for newly retired, new move discount, new vehicle discount, new graduate, newly married, good student, and exclusive group savings.
- American Family has discounts for TimeAway discount, accident-free, defensive driver, air bags, good driver, and good student.
- Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, multi-policy, good student, online signing, and homeowner.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including teen driver, bundle discounts, alternative fuel, homeowner, early shopping, youthful driver, and mature driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers discounts for paid in full, multi-policy, group or association, safe vehicle, anti-theft, air bags, and good student.
- SAFECO offers premium reductions for teen safety rewards, safe driver, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, and anti-lock brakes.
If you need , ask each company or agent how you can save money. Savings may not apply to policyholders in your area. To choose insurers that offer the discounts shown above in Alabama, follow this link.
Independent or captive insurance agents
A lot of people would prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is you may find the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from small agencies is especially important in Sylacauga.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), the coverage information gets sent to insurance agents in Sylacauga that can provide for your business. There is no need to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered to you instantly. You can find better rates AND an agent nearby. If you have a need to quote rates from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
To make it easy to view licensed agents near you, visit this list of Sylacauga, AL auto insurance providers.
Choosing an insurer requires more thought than just a cheap price. Before buying a policy, get answers to these questions.
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
After getting good answers to all your questions as well as a price you’re happy with, you’ve probably found a company that will insure your vehicles.
Better coverage you can count on
You just learned many tips how you can compare auto insurance premium rates online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may even discover the lowest premium rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They can often provide lower prices in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
A few companies do not offer internet price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agencies. Lower-priced auto insurance can be found both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best rate selection.
Much more information about auto insurance in Alabama is located on the through this link. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and find out which companies have the most complaints.