How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Albuquerque

Are you tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You are no different than millions of other consumers. Numerous battle for your business, so it's not easy to compare every to find the absolute lowest price

It's important to check auto insurance prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online, so I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Albuquerque is easy if you know what you're doing. New Mexico vehicle owners just need to know the best way to shop their coverage around online.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Men fork out a little more - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that women are better drivers. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Never allow your policy to lapse - Driving with no insurance can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Jobs such as judges, architects and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
  • Don't sacrifice liability coverage - The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • High crash test scores lower rates - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates - Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one citation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have severe citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money - The majority of companies will give a discount to people who buy several policies from them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.

Albuquerque auto insurance comparison

How to Compare Albuquerque Auto Insurance Rates

All major auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm give prices for coverage online. Getting online quotes is fairly straightforward as you just type in into the quote form. After the form is submitted, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and quotes a price based on these and other factors. Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but having to visit different websites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. Unfortunately, it is important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get a lower rate.

The easy way to compare rates

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill requires only one form that gets price quotes from a bunch of companies at once. It's a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online a lot less work. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy any of the resulting price quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, it's easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. This process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and complete the simple form. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you enter coverages and limits just like they are on your policy. This makes sure you will get an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Senior Discount - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
  • Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Accident Free - Claim-free drivers pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Organization Discounts - Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
  • Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • New Vehicle Savings - Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Albuquerque, follow this link.

Switch companies and save? Really?

New Mexico drivers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you move to them.

How do they all say the same thing?

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who do not match the "perfect" profile will have to pay more money which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's why companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Much more information about auto insurance in New Mexico is located on the website for the New Mexico Insurance Division located here. New Mexico drivers can learn about insurance regulations, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Best coverage at the best price

When buying insurance coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is definitely available on the web and with local Albuquerque insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.