Have you fallen victim to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are many people just like you.
Insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance persitently shower you with catchy ads and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Finding affordable coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. But vehicle owners should learn the way companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.
All the larger car insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive allow you to get prices for coverage on their websites. This process is quite easy as you just enter the coverages you want into a form. Behind the scenes, the company’s rating system sends out for reports for credit and driving violations and returns pricing information. This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the process of having to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. Unfortunately, it is important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get a better rate.
Compare rates the easy way
A less time-consuming method to lower your car insurance bill uses one form to return rates from several different companies. This type of form saves time, requires less work, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you are able to buy any or none of the quote results.
If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you enter deductibles and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you will have comparison quotes for similar insurance coverage.
Car insurance providers like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings if you change your coverage to them. How do they all say the same thing?
All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings.
Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but a few need to be requested specifically before they will apply.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
Some consumers just want to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local insurance agencies is important especially in smaller rural communities.
Once you complete this short form, your insurance data is sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy! You’ll get the best rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
When looking for a reliable agent, there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Insurance agencies can either be captive or independent.
These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.
These agents are contracted to one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Captive agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
For a full directory of insurance agencies, click here.
Choosing a car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
Upon getting answers to your satisfaction for all questions you ask and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that can adequately provide car insurance.
When buying insurance coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
Cheaper Ford Thunderbird insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.