How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Union Springs

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, there are a lot of people in Union Springs just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy.

With so many companies to choose from, it can be challenging to find the lowest price insurer.

Union Springs Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • With age comes lower rates - Teen drivers in Alabama tend to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
  • Being married can save on auto insurance - Getting married actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Occupations such as real estate brokers, executives and stock brokers tend to have the highest rates in part from high stress levels and long work days. On the other hand, professions such as actors, students and the unemployed receive lower rates.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.

auto insurance in Union Springs

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Service Members Pay Less - Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Student in College - Any of your kids living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Union Springs may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education in high school.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Alabama, click this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you move to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's the way companies can truthfully state the savings.

This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Find out more about auto insurance

Additional information can be read on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Alabama consumers can find disaster information, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and get help finding coverage.

Other informative sites include this resource for Alabama auto insurance prices and this page of Union Springs insurance agents.

auto insurance in Union Springs

Final considerations

Cheaper auto insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Union Springs agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.