How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Grand Bay

Expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is a great way to make sure you're not throwing money away. Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is too much inaccurate information about car insurance on the web, but we're going to give you some great ways to save money.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before being credited. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

Anti-theft System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
E-sign - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
Resident Student - Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Payment Method - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Alabama, click here.

Which Car Insurance is Cheapest in Grand Bay, Alabama?

Most companies like Allstate and Progressive provide price estimates directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing is quite simple as you simply enter the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain your credit score and driving record and generates pricing information. Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit many different websites and enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. But it's very important to do this if you want to find better car insurance pricing.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to find lower prices makes use of a single form to return rates from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending the form, it gets priced and you can select any one of the price quotes you receive.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The whole process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and you'll know if lower rates are available.

In order to find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you're receiving rate quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.

Discounts for multiple policies - Many insurance companies give discounts to insureds who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you may still want to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
Being married is a good thing - Getting married can get you a discount on car insurance. Marriage translates into being more responsible and it's statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Alabama are known to be less responsible when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a teenage driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
High deductibles save money - Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Optional equipment can affect rates - Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all aid in stopping auto theft.
Big city or small town - Residing in a small town has it's advantages when talking about car insurance. Urban drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers in Alabama can't get away from ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. Any driver that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for these standards will be charged higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

That is why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

And the best car insurance company is...

As you shop your coverage around, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Cheap car insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents in Grand Bay, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers don't offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.