Car Insurance in Prescott Valley – 5 Discounts Consumers are Missing

Comparison shopping for Prescott Valley car insurance can be a challenge for beginners to comparison shopping online. There are so many options that it can turn into a lot of work to locate the lowest price in Prescott Valley.

It’s a great practice to take a look at other company’s rates before your policy renews since rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the best deal six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the best ways to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Locating the best protection in Prescott Valley is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, anyone who shops for car insurance will be able to lower their premiums. But Arizona drivers benefit from understanding how companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

Save money by taking advantage of these 5 discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few need to be asked for before they will apply.

• Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
• Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.
• Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
• Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your premiums.

To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts in Arizona, follow this link.

Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Prescott Valley

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to get quotes from local in Prescott Valleycar insurance companies. The simplest method to find competitive insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

The most efficient way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating separate quotes to each individual car insurance company. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from multiple low-cost companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.

A different way to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, let’s assume you want rates from GEICO, Allstate and Progressive. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Prescott Valley, click here.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverage information for each price quote. If each company quotes different liability limits it will be very difficult to truly determine the lowest rate in Prescott Valley. Slightly different coverages could mean much higher rates. Keep in mind that quoting more will enable you to find the best rates.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For example, these questions could help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.

• What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
• Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
• Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• Who is covered by my policy?
• Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
• Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
• What is the minimum liability in Arizona?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Car insurance policy specifics

Knowing the specifics of car insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Comprehensive protection – This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hitting a bird, falling objects, theft and hail damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Collision coverages – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like backing into a parked car, hitting a mailbox and rolling your car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like X-ray expenses, funeral costs, dental work and ambulance fees. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Liability coverages – Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against claims like legal defense fees, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford. Arizona requires drivers to carry at least 15,000/30,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This gives you protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your vehicle.

Since many Arizona drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/10 in Arizona), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Summing up your car insurance search

Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Prescott Valley insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, drivers have reduced full coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Drivers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as high rates after DUI convictions, policy cancellation, denial of a claim or not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.

More Arizona car insurance information

More information can be read on the Arizona Department of Insurance website through this link. Arizona drivers can find out industry alerts, download brochures, and file complaints about a company.