Tightwads Tips for Saving on Craig Auto Insurance

Tired of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Alaska consumers. You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to shop coverage around before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the only way to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

Tips to Get Lower Craig Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

High credit ratings translate to low rates - Your credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with good credit tend to be more responsible than drivers who have poor credit.
Small claims can cost you - Insurance companies in Alaska provide lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - Most companies give discounts to customers who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Marriage brings a discount - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Marriage translates into being more responsible and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Liability coverage is cheap - Liability insurance will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are many extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women have accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.

Cheap Craig Auto Insurance Comparisons

Comparing auto insurance rates can take hours if you don't understand the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend your afternoon talking to insurance agencies in Craig, or you could use the web to achieve your goal.

Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company can provide price quotes. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

One minor caviat to using this type of system is you are unable to specify which providers you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Alaska. Click here for list of insurance companies in Alaska.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using identical coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If you are comparing different liability limits then you won't be able to make a fair comparison in Craig.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don't even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before they will apply. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Passive Restraints - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
E-sign - Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Defensive Driver - Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose providers offering auto insurance discounts in Alaska, follow this link.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Alaska consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm and Allstate. All the ads say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Consumers who don't meet these standards will be charged higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings.

That is why you need to compare as many rates as you can. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Alaska Division of Insurance found here. Alaska consumers can find out industry alerts, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and get help finding coverage.

A tidy conclusion

You just read a lot of information how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .

When buying insurance coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.