How to Know You’re Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Prichard

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Prichard? Lot’s of other consumers are too. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become a lot of work to locate the lowest price.

It’s smart to shop coverage around occasionally since insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you got the best deal a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you the easiest way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

This information will tell you the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. But Alabama drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the way insurance companies market insurance on the web.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Prichard

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

• Teen drivers pay high rates – Older drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
• Women pay lower rates – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Women and men have accidents in similar percentages, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
• Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
• Type of vehicle determines base rates – The performance level of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for low performance passenger models, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a fast way to bump up your auto insurance costs. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a revoked license or a big fine.

Compare Prichard Auto Insurance Costs

When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways of comparing price quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The best way to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of shopping online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

• The fastest way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. One quote request gets rate comparisons from multiple low-cost companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
• Another way to compare rate quotes is to manually visit the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want rates from Auto-Owners, Farmers and American Family. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Prichard, click here.
• The most time-consuming method to get comparison rates is driving to insurance agents’ offices. The internet can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you want the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, get the lowest quotes online and still use a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

However you get your quotes, compare apples-to-apples quote information with each company. If you are comparing different liability limits it’s not possible to determine the best price in Prichard. Slightly different insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.

How much can you save with discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

• Memberships – Being a member of a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when buying auto insurance.
• Good Student – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
• 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
• Drivers Education – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.

It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

What about my local Prichard agents?

Certain consumers would prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is you can get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting small agencies is definitely important in Prichard.

By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to participating agents in Prichard who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no need to leave your computer since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

What type of Prichard car insurance agent is right for you?

When looking for a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different types of agents to choose from. Prichard agents are either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you contact multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.Many can place coverage with different regional companies which can save you money.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only place business with one company like Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so they have no alternatives for high prices. They receive extensive training in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Consumers often purchase coverage from captives primarily because of the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.

Picking an insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• What insurance company do they write the most business with?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
• How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?

Once you have received satisfactory answers to your questions and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that can properly insure your vehicles.

More information is available on the Alabama Department of Insurance website located here. Alabama consumers can file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, get help finding coverage, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Summing up your auto insurance search

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Prichard insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal or policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.