Car Insurance in Jeffersonville Indiana – 5 Tips to Cut Costs

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

Online insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate all claim big savings with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to separate fact from fiction and take the time to shop coverage around.

You need to get comparison quotes periodically because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best deal a couple years back there may be better deals available now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the quickest way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these techniques. Finding affordable coverage in Jeffersonville is not that difficult. Although Indiana consumers benefit from understanding how big insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.

How to Lower Your Car Insurance Cost in Jeffersonville

There are several ways to get quotes and find the best price. The fastest way to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

The easiest and least time consuming way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating separate forms for each company. Filling out one form compares rates from all major companies.

A more difficult way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For example, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Progressive, Liberty Mutual and GMAC. You would have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.

For a handy list of car insurance company links in Jeffersonville, click here.

The hardest method of comparing rate quotes is to spend your day driving to insurance agents’ offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the professional guidance of a local agent. However, consumers can compare the best prices online and get advice from an agent in your area.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use identical coverages on every quote you get. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Jeffersonville. Quoting even small variations in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes will enable you to find the best price.

Do you qualify for these 5 discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the more hidden car insurance savings.

• Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
• Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
• Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Indiana, follow this link.

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

Certain consumers prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find lower rates and still choose a local agent.

To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, the coverage information is sent to participating agents in Jeffersonville who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! Get lower rates AND an agent nearby.

Deciding on a company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:

• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• How are they compensated?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?

Shown below are agents in Jeffersonville that are able to give price quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 205 E Chestnut St, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 284-4612
Barber & Assoc Insurance – 1416 Spring St, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 282-6950
Federated Insurance Co – , Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 280-7461
Allstate Insurance – 2214 Allison Ln, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 282-2970
Barbara Roy Agency – 1314 Utica Sellersburg Rd, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 284-7283
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2004 Charlestown New Albany Rd, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 283-7975
State Farm Insurance – 2510 Allison Ln, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 – (812) 288-9393

Upon receiving good answers to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, you’ve probably found an insurance company that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

More detailed Indiana car insurance information is located at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana consumers can read consumer alerts, discover disciplinary actions, read state legal mandates and laws, and view a list of available companies.

Information about specific coverages

Having a good grasp of car insurance helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.

UM/UIM Coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many Indiana drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Collision coverage

This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against things like crashing into a building, colliding with a tree, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hitting a deer, hail damage, damage from flooding and fire damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Liability

Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.

Liability insurance covers things like funeral expenses, medical expenses, loss of income and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Indiana state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses for ambulance fees, prosthetic devices and hospital visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

More comparisons equals lower rates

You just learned a lot of tips how to get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Discount car insurance is attainable both online and with local Jeffersonville insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.