Tightwads Guide for Saving on Donaldsonville Auto Insurance

Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can overdraw your checking account and put the squeeze on your family's finances. Comparison shopping is a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.

Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Buying car insurance in Donaldsonville is not that difficult. Although Louisiana drivers do need to know how companies sell online and take advantage of how the system works.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate premiums.

  • Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are quite a few add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Being married helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
  • Don't skimp on liability - Your policy's liability coverage is the protection if a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Occupations such as doctors, architects and dentists have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and long work days. Other professions such as pilots, historians and retirees get better rates.
  • Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.

auto insurance in Donaldsonville

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Paperless Signup - A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy digitally online.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
  • Claim Free - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Donaldsonville, follow this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you change your coverage to them. How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay higher premiums which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you should get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

For more Louisiana auto insurance information

Even more information is available at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Louisiana consumers can discover disciplinary actions, get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view a list of available companies.

Shop smart and save

The cheapest auto insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in Donaldsonville, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.