Top Ways to Save on Theodore Auto Insurance

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can dwindle your checking account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to help make ends meet.

Multiple compete to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare to find the lowest price

It's important to compare prices quite often because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best deal a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the only way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

The list below includes some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

Where you live can impact rates - Residing in less populated areas can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers regularly have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Higher commute times means more change of being in an accident.
Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. They both tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Jobs such as doctors, executives and accountants have higher rates than average because of high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, professions such as pilots, athletes and the unemployed get better rates.
Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Being married can save on auto insurance - Being married actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. It translates into being more responsible and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Theodore, Alabama

There are several ways of comparing price quotes from local Theodore auto insurance companies. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form saves time by eliminating repetitive form entry to each individual auto insurance company. One form gets you coverage quotes direct from many companies.
A more difficult way to get quotes online consists of going to the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Theodore, click here.
The hardest way of comparing rate quotes is to waste gas driving to local Theodore insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the trained guidance only provided by licensed Theodore agents. Drivers can find lower rates online and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare the exact same coverages for every company. If you enter different limits and deductibles on each one it's not possible to decipher which rate is best in Theodore. Having just a slight variation in coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find lower pricing.

Save big with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied in order for you to get them.

Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Claim Free - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Organization Discounts - Participating in certain professional organizations could trigger savings on auto insurance.
More Vehicles More Savings - Insuring multiple cars or trucks with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
College Student - Any of your kids who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Theodore, click this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you move your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who fall outside the "perfect" profile will have to pay more money which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions may help you determine if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Theodore?
Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Additional information is available on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance located here. Alabama consumers can view agent and company licensing information, learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

As you shop your coverage around, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Theodore, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.