Mobile Car Insurance Agents – Do Your Homework Online

When buying auto insurance in Mobile, there are a lot of options and finding the best Alabama auto insurance agent takes more work than just calling the closest agent. Most likely you require not only a good agent that listens to you, but you also want the best rates possible.

With companies like State Farm, Allstate, Farmers and independent agents having local Mobile offices, it can be hard to know which will provide you with the cheapest rates and the best coverage. To begin, it’s easy to use insurance quotes online to build a list of insurance agencies to choose from.

Car Insurance from Mobile insurance agents

Agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local agencies is important especially in Mobile.

By using this short form, your coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Choose the right insurance agent

When researching an insurance agent, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agents are either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.

The following are independent agents in Mobile willing to provide comparison quotes.

Mulroy Agency – 2754 Dauphin St – Mobile, AL 36606 – (251) 479-1500
Loxley Insurance – 3761 Government Blvd # D – Mobile, AL 36693 – (251) 964-6242
All Risk Agency – 800 Downtowner Blvd – Mobile, AL 36609 – (251) 344-1127
Southern Underwriters Agency – 905 W Prichard Ave – Mobile, AL 36610 – (251) 457-6388
Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance Inc – 3212 S Midtown Park – Mobile, AL 36606 – (251) 473-4600

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

Shown below is a list of captive agents in Mobile who can help you get rate quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 9201 Cottage Hill Rd – Mobile, AL 36695 – (251) 633-4969
State Farm Insurance – 2558 Old Shell Rd – Mobile, AL 36607 – (251) 471-1108
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 6417 Hillcrest Park Ct # I – Mobile, AL 36695 – (251) 634-9430
Farmers Insurance Group – 7695 Cottage Hill Rd – Mobile, AL 36695 – (251) 633-6555

For a complete listing of Mobile captive agencies, visit this site.

Picking an insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• How are claims handled?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?

After receiving acceptable answers to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide auto insurance.

What is the best insurance coverage?

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

• Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
• When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
• Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• How much liability coverage do I need in Alabama?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Alabama?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent.

Can I save by buying online?

Professional insurance agents are perfect for certain consumers, but Alabama drivers can also buy direct online. Certain companies, such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm, who have local Mobile agents also let you get a quote and buy online, and that can save time as an alternative to contacting agents.

If you’re uncomfortable with not getting proper coverage when buying car insurance direct, don’t be too concerned. All companies that allow you to purchase coverage have toll-free phone numbers and other options to answer any questions you may have.

Is pricing better online? That is a tough question to answer since there may be dozens of rate factors that can increase policy rates. It’s a logical assumption that buying directly from the company saves money because there is no commission. For the majority of companies, however, marketing their products costs a lot of money and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.

Affordable insurance is out there

Lower-priced auto insurance is possible from both online companies and with local Mobile insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

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 situations where someone dropped collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

Learn more about Alabama auto insurance

Additional auto insurance information is available on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance found here. Alabama drivers can file complaints about a company, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find a variety of consumer forms.