Comparing Cheap Show Low Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Arizona drivers. Drivers have so many to pick from, and although it's a good thing to have multiple companies, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates a few years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Don't believe everything you read about auto insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to find cheap auto insurance.

Save big with these discounts

Companies don't always advertise all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you're not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.

New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
Braking Control Discount - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are some of the items used by your company to calculate rates.

More miles equals more premium - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Autos left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
Theft deterrents lower rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit is lower than you'd like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than those with poor credit.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as real estate brokers, executives and financial analysts have higher average rates attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and homemakers get better rates.
Older drivers pay less - Teenage drivers in Arizona are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
Liability insurance protects assets - Liability insurance will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren't careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good at first, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Arizona drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you switch your coverage to them.

How does each company say the same thing?

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who fall outside these standards will have to pay higher premiums which leads to business not being written. The ads say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More Arizona auto insurance information

Additional detailed information can be read at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Arizona drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

Also read more on Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Show Low insurance agents.

A tidy conclusion

When shopping online for auto insurance, make sure you don't skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be found on the web as well as from independent agents in Show Low, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.