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

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Mississippi drivers. Companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with catchy ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest price last year you can probably find a better price now. You'll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates while maintaining coverages. Finding affordable coverage in Marion is easy if you know what you're doing. Mississippi vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to compare prices online.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Bump up deductibles to save - Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
An active claims history can cost you - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in Mississippi provide cheaper rates to people who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Most companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. 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 verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Jobs such as judges, architects and dentists have the highest average rates because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. Other occupations like farmers, historians and homemakers get better rates.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. It translates into being more mature than a single person and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Little extras can really add up - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Pleasure use saves money - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles left parked in the garage receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Marion may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Sign Online - Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
Multi-car Discount - Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Marion, follow this link.

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

Consumers in Mississippi can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them.

How can each company claim to save you money?

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't meet the requirements will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More detailed Mississippi auto insurance information is located at the Mississippi Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and read industry bulletins.

A tidy conclusion

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents in Marion, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.