Easy Techniques to Save Money on Bull Shoals Auto Insurance

If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, it's easy to be confused by the sheer number of auto insurance companies competing for business in Bull Shoals.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates periodically because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the proper way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Nevertheless, Arkansas drivers do need to know the way insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.

Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching policies before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
Life Insurance Discount - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Defensive Driver - Taking a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
College Student - Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Bull Shoals can save you money because owning a home shows financial diligence.

It's important to understand that some credits don't apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

To see a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Arkansas, click here.

Bull Shoals Auto Insurance Comparisons

Most companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive quote coverage prices directly from their websites. Getting online rates is pretty painless as you just type in your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns a price.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but having to visit several different sites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. But it's very important to do this if you are searching for better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to compare rates uses one simple form that gets price quotes from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online quotes a little more enjoyable. Immediately after submitting the form, it is quoted and you can choose any one of the price quotes you receive.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it's easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. It just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To save time and find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended that you enter the coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you will have comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Bull Shoals Rates are Influenced by These Factors

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates enables informed choices that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Are you male or female? - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Performance makes a difference - The type of car you own makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates are for economy passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Traffic violations increase rates - Just one citation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Lower miles equals lower premium - The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.

Different people need different coverages

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique.

For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from professional advice.

Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I buy only the required Arkansas minimum liability coverage?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Bull Shoals?

If you can't answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, simply complete this short form.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you switch to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives newer vehicles. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential customers who are not a match for these standards will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

Low-cost auto insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood Bull Shoals agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

Additional auto insurance information is located on the Arkansas Insurance Department website. Click here for link. Arkansas consumers can learn about insurance regulations, learn about specific coverages, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include this site for Arkansas auto insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in Bull Shoals.