Finding Low-Cost Livingston Auto Insurance

Nobody enjoys paying for auto insurance, in particular when the cost is way too high. Having so many insurance companies to choose from, it can be diffult for consumers to pick the lowest price car insurance company.

It's important to get comparison quotes periodically because insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

This article will familiarize you with how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Alabama vehicle owners just need to know how to compare prices online.

How much can you save with discounts?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Most are applied at quote time, but less common discounts must be inquired about in order for you to get them. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

Discount for New Cars - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Passive Restraints - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Military Discounts - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Federal Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
More Vehicles More Savings - Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on the same auto insurance policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Accident Forgiveness - Some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
College Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up online.
Save over 55 - Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Alabama, follow this link.

Livingston Auto Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways to shop for auto insurance, but there is one way that is less time-consuming than others. You can waste a lot of time talking to agents in Livingston, or you could use online quoting for quick rates.

Many insurance companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and every company then gives them pricing based on that information. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to using this type of form is that you can't choose which carriers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in Alabama. View list of Alabama insurance companies.

Which method you use is up to you, but be sure to compare apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If the quotes have different values for each quote then you won't be able to decipher which rate is best in Livingston.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Mature drivers pay less - Teen drivers in Alabama tend to be more careless behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Having to add a youthful driver onto your auto insurance can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
Clean credit earns discounts - Credit rating is a big factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating.
Drive a safer car and pay less - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
Traffic violations increase rates - Just one moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have severe citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

How much car insurance do I need?

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For example, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent's help.

Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?

If you don't know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Alabama consumers can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you move your policy.

But how can every company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't meet this ideal profile will have to pay more money which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

And the best car insurance company is...

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like .

Additional Alabama consumer information

Much more information about auto insurance in Alabama can be found on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance found here. Alabama consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Livingston insurance agents.