No one looks forward to buying auto insurance, in particular when they could find better prices if they shop around. Numerous car insurance companies battle for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the cheapest price
You should make it a habit to take a look at other company’s rates quite often because insurance prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest quotes at your last renewal a different company probably has better rates today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, but in this article, you’re going to get some great ways to find cheap auto insurance.
Take advantage of every auto insurance discount
Some companies don’t always publicize all disounts very well, so below is a list some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you .
- Online Discount – A few auto insurance companies will provide an incentive simply for signing on the internet.
- Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies give discounts for switching policies before your current coverage expires. This can save 10% or more.
- Military Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better prices.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Low annual miles may allow you to get discounted auto insurancerates on garaged vehicles.
- Good Driver Discounts – Insureds without accidents can save as much as half off their rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- Membership in Organizations – Having an affiliation with a qualifying organization could earn you a nice discount on your next renewal.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but companies like Progressive, State Farm and Geico permit an accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
As a sidenote, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any amount of discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.
Large auto insurance companies and their offered discounts are shown below.
- American Family may include discounts for good student, air bags, early bird, accident-free, and TimeAway discount.
- State Farm includes discounts for accident-free, defensive driving training, anti-theft, multiple autos, good driver, passive restraint, and safe vehicle.
- 21st Century has savings for 55 and older, automatic seat belts, student driver, good student, teen driver, and early bird.
- Travelers offers discounts for home ownership, new car, IntelliDrive, driver training, good student, early quote, and multi-car.
- Geico policyholders can earn discounts including driver training, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, good student, defensive driver, and multi-policy.
When comparing rates, check with every company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered on policies in your state. If you would like to see a list of companies who offer cheap auto insurance quotes in New Hampshire, follow this link.
Get rate quotes but still have a local Swanzey insurance agency
Some consumers still like to have an agent’s advice and doing that can be a smart decision Professional insurance agents are trained risk managers and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing auto insurance online is that you can find lower rates and still have a local agent. And providing support for local insurance agencies is especially important in Swanzey.
By using this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is transmitted to companies in Swanzey who will give you bids for your auto insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact an agency since price quotes are sent directly to you. If you wish to compare prices from a specific company, you would need to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
When looking for a local Swanzey insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the different agency structures from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Swanzey are categorized either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either can sell and service auto insurance coverage, but it is important to understand the difference in how they write coverage since it can impact which type of agent you select.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents in the independent channel can sell policies from many different companies so they can quote policies through many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to do anything.
If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, you should always get insurance quotes from multiple independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
The following is a partial list of independent agencies in Swanzey that can give you free rate quotes.
Satellite Insurance Network – 348 Matthews Rd – Swanzey, NH 03446 – (603) 358-3190
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Captive agencies generally can only insure with one company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies are trained well on the products they sell which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Finding a good insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Are they full-time agents?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
After talking to the agent and getting good responses to your questions as well as an affordable premium quote, it’s a good possibility that you have found an insurance agency that is reputable and can adequately provide auto insurance.
More information is available on the New Hampshire Insurance Department website found here. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Don’t give up on cheaper premiums
Some auto insurance companies may not provide online rate quotes and usually these regional carriers work with independent agencies. Lower-priced auto insurance can be bought online and from local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
When searching for , it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.