7 Tips Guaranteed to Slash the Cost of Auto Insurance Costs in Natchitoches

If you’ve never shopped for auto insurance online, you may be confused by the vast number of auto insurance companies selling insurance in Natchitoches.

You need to check auto insurance prices before your policy renews since rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best price a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the only way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

More discounts equal less premium

Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise every available discount very clearly, so we researched both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies permit an accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
• Good Student Discount – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
• Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing online.
• Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with a few auto insurance companies.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.

For a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Natchitoches, click here.

Additional detailed information is located at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, learn about specific coverages, find out which companies have the most complaints, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other useful links include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and CarInsuranceDIY.com.

Auto insurance coverages and their meanings

Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for surgery, rehabilitation expenses and chiropractic care. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, scraping a guard rail, sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

UM/UIM Coverage – This gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/25 in Louisiana), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like falling objects, rock chips in glass, damage from getting keyed, hitting a bird and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for liability – Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability insurance covers things like court costs, structural damage, repair costs for stationary objects and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Louisiana requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/25,000 but you should consider buying higher limits.

In Summary

Affordable auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many Natchitoches insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

We just covered a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.