Tightwads Tips for Saving on Wrangell Car Insurance

Are you tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other drivers in Alaska. You have multiple to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to have multiple companies, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're going to learn the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies don't always publicize all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If you're not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.

New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
College Student - Any of your kids who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
Early Switch Discount - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. It's a savings of about 10%.
Braking Control Discount - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Wrangell

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Pleasure use saves money - Driving more miles every year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Double check that your car insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Older drivers pay less - Young drivers in Alaska are known to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Men pay higher rates - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes cause accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Your credit rating is important - Credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.

The car insurance bait and switch

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching to them.

How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could be a mature driver, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay more money which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers should compare many company's rates. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More Alaska car insurance information

Even more information is available at the Alaska Division of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and learn about insurance regulations.

And the best car insurance company is...

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

Cheaper car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Wrangell insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.