Easy Ways to Cut Costs on Knoxville Auto Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of auto insurance choices in Knoxville? You have a lot of company. There are so many choices that it can turn into a challenge to find the perfect company for you.

The purpose of this post is to tell you how to get online quotes and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Illinois drivers only need an understanding of how to get comparison quotes on the web.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Your stress level may be raising your rates - Careers like lawyers, architects and financial analysts have higher average rates due to job stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, professions such as actors, engineers and retirees get better rates.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
  • Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are quite a few extra coverages that can waste your money if you aren't careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem good initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • Adjust deductibles and save - Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. A few examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • More performance means more cost - The performance level of the car you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The lowest base rates are for low performance passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
  • A clean driving record saves money - A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Even one moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than their less careful counterparts. If you have dangerous violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Where do you drive? - The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies price each vehicle's coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle.

Quick Knoxville Auto Insurance Quotes

Reducing your insurance rates isn't really that difficult. Just invest a few minutes comparing rate quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  1. The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. Completing one form will get you price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
  2. A harder way to compare rate quotes requires a visit to the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Knoxville, click here.
  3. The least efficient method of getting rate comparisons to and from local Knoxville insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the professional guidance only provided by licensed Knoxville agents. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, compare identical coverage limits on every quote you get. If you use differing limits then you won't be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Knoxville.

Take advantage of discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Most are applied when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for before you get the savings. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Claim Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Homeowners Discount - Simply owning a home may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Discount for Swiching Early - Some companies give discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
  • Discount for Good Grades - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
  • New Vehicle Savings - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.

It's important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Illinois, follow this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Illinois drivers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing of big savings if you change your coverage to them.

How does each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who don't qualify for these standards will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.

This emphasizes why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional auto insurance information can be found on the Illinois Department of Insurance website found here. Illinois drivers can read industry bulletins, find disaster information, and discover disciplinary actions.

auto insurance in Knoxville

In the end, you save

Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, delays in responding to claim requests, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even lack of trust in their agent. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new auto insurance company is easier than you think.

Low-cost auto insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Knoxville, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. A few companies don't offer online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented many ways to compare auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with some of the smallest insurance companies.