Tightwads Tips for Saving on Surprise Auto Insurance

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers. There are many to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

The following are some of the factors companies use to determine premiums.

High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as doctors, executives and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates attributed to high stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, engineers and performers have the lowest average rates.
Being married can save on auto insurance - Being married can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Bump up deductibles to save - Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The more money you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
The more you drive the more you pay - Driving more miles every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies apply a rate based on their usage. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Liability insurance protects assets - Liability coverage will protect you if a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
How many coverages with the same company - Many auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you may still want to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
More claims means more premium - Auto insurance companies in Arizona give lower rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.

Comparison of Auto Insurance in Surprise

All major auto insurance companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm allow you to get prices for coverage on the web. This process is fairly straightforward as you just enter as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and quotes a price. Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but having to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to compare as many rates as possible in order to find better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form that gets prices from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes quoting online a lot less work. After your information is entered, it is rated and you can select any one of the resulting price quotes. If the quotes result in lower rates, it's easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you copy the limits and deductibles exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will receive rate quotes for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance companies don't necessarily list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Military Rewards - Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Accident Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared with accident-prone drivers.
Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application over the internet.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Surprise may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Auto/Life Discount - Some companies give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.

It's important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you're out of luck.

To choose insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Arizona, click this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Arizona consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make the same claim that you can save after switching to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for these standards must pay higher prices which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's why insurance companies can make those claims. This illustrates why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Additional detailed information is available at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Arizona consumers can find disaster information, read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, and report car insurance fraud.

And the best car insurance company is...

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced online and with local Surprise insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

You just read many ideas to compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .