Ruidoso Car Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Buying affordable Ruidoso car insurance on the internet is rather challenging for consumers not familiar with comparing rates online. When there are so many insurance companies available, how can you even start to compare every company to locate the best available rates?

Tips to Get Lower Ruidoso Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in New Mexico provide lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is intended for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Big city or small town - Residing in small towns and rural areas can save you money when talking about car insurance. City drivers regularly have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. If you have serious violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
  • Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are many add-on coverages that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list every discount very clearly, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings.

  • Government Employees - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
  • Good Student Discount - This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts until age 25.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in New Mexico, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards will be quoted more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone's situation is a little different.

For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you might need an agent's assistance.

  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Should I buy only the required New Mexico minimum liability coverage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Should I buy additional glass protection?
  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Learn more about car insurance in New Mexico

Even more information is available at the New Mexico Insurance Division website. Visitors are able to download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include this online resource for car insurance quotes in New Mexico and this list of insurance agents in Ruidoso.

New Mexico car insurance quotes

Do the work, save more money

Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as high rates after DUI convictions, policy non-renewal, high prices or even delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.

When you buy insurance online, make sure you don't buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

We just presented many ways to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies.