Is Your Bristol Auto Insurance Leaving a Hole in Your Pocket?

Are you a victim of an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, many Bristol consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

There are many car insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, having more auto insurance companies makes it harder to find the best rates.

The purpose of this post is to introduce you to how to effectively get price quotes and some tips to save money. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these tips. But Tennessee drivers do need to learn how insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Companies offer discounts so take them!

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but some must be asked for before they will apply.

• Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
• Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
• One Accident Forgiven – A handful of insurance companies permit an accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.
• Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child take driver’s ed class in school.
• Good Student Discount – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
• Own a Home – Owning a house in Bristol may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.

Buying auto insurance from a local agent

Some consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local agencies is especially important in Bristol.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is submitted to companies in Bristol who will battle for your coverage. There is no need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent directly to your email. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Captive or Independent: There is a difference

When looking for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies that you can select. Agents are either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, you should always include price quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

Below is a short list of independent agents in Bristol that can give you pricing information.

Falin Worley Jr Insurance – 2628 W State St – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 764-0604
Lewis H Foreman Insurance Inc – – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 968-7672
Direct General Ins Agency – 705 Bluff City Hwy – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 274-0991

Captive Agents

These agents have only one company to place business with like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below is a short list of captive agencies in Bristol who can help you get price quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 1182 Volunteer Pkwy – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 274-0610
State Farm Insurance – 939 Volunteer Pkwy – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 968-1322
Allstate Insurance Co – 1510 Bluff City Hwy – Bristol, TN 37620 – (423) 968-7373

To view a complete directory of captive agents in Bristol, visit this site.

Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?

Once you have acceptable answers and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance.

Advertising myths

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you change to their company. How do they all make almost identical claims?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a preferred risk might be profiled as a mature driver, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

This illustrates why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Much more information about auto insurance in Tennessee is located on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance located here. Tennessee consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view agent and company licensing information, and download brochures.

The articles below may also help you learn more about auto insurance in Bristol

• Easy Techniques to Spend Less on Bristol Auto Insurance

More comparisons equals lower rates

When buying insurance coverage, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

You just learned many ideas to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.