Auto Insurance in El Mirage, AZ – 9 Discounts You May be Missing

Consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online may find purchasing low-cost El Mirage auto insurance to be a formidable task.

Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates every six months because insurance rates change frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to quote online to buy cheaper auto insurance.

How much can you save with these nine discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don’t list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
• Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in school.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared to bad drivers.
• Organization Discounts – Participating in certain professional organizations may earn a discount on your policy.
• Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Arizona, click here to view.

Ads can be misleading

Consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim that you’ll save big if you move your coverage to them.

But how can every company make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Even more information is located at the Arizona Department of Insurance website. Arizona drivers can find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and read state legal mandates and laws.

Additional helpful sites include this link for Arizona coverage information and this list of insurance agents in El Mirage.

Auto insurance coverage options

Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This gives you protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many Arizona drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/10 in Arizona), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Liability coverages

Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.

Liability insurance covers things like funeral expenses, pain and suffering and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying higher limits if possible. Arizona state minimum liability requirements are 15,000/30,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills such as surgery, nursing services, rehabilitation expenses and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like falling objects, hail damage, damage from flooding and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

Affordable auto insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local El Mirage insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as high prices, delays in paying claims, extreme rates for teen drivers or even poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

While you’re price shopping online, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.