Never Buy Tuscaloosa Alabama Car Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Tips

If shopping for car insurance online is new to you, you may be overwhelmed due to the large number of companies selling insurance in Tuscaloosa.

You need to check car insurance prices at least once a year because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the lowest rates on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to one of the best ways to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

This information will let you in on how to get online quotes and some tips to save money. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Alabama drivers just need to understand how to compare price quotes on the web.

Cut your premium with discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance.
• Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
• New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less compared to bad drivers.
• Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last until age 25.
• Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Alabama, click this link.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

Some people would rather buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from local agencies is definitely important in Tuscaloosa.

After filling out this simple form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. Now that’s easy!

Captive and independent Tuscaloosa insurance agencies

If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are two different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Tuscaloosa are classified as either independent or captive. Both properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can impact your agent selection.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.Most can insure with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.

The following are Tuscaloosa independent agencies who can help you get price quotes.

• Fitts Agency Inc – 1806 6th Ave E – Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 – (205) 752-3547
• Mitchell Agency Corp – 1514 Skyland Blvd E – Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 – (205) 633-1713
• Woodmen Of The World Insurance – 2211 15th St E # A – Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 – (205) 752-5228
• Jack Kubiszyn Agency – 2306 University Blvd – Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 – (205) 345-5650
• Insurance Benefit Svc Inc – 2205 13th St – Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 – (205) 345-9737

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents work for only one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mostly because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Tuscaloosa that are able to give rate quotes.

• Allstate Insurance – 6521 Highway 69 S # B – Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 – (205) 248-0303
• State Farm Insurance – 320 Hargrove Rd E – Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 – (205) 758-3331
• Farmers Insurance Group – 2710 Skyland Blvd E – Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 – (205) 556-5175

For a full directory of car insurance agents in Tuscaloosa, visit this site.

Picking an insurance agent requires more thought than just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:

• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Alabama?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• How are claims handled?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?

Once you have satisfactory answers to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that will properly insure your vehicles.

To learn more about car insurance in Alabama

Additional information can be found on the Alabama Department of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and discover disciplinary actions.

A tidy conclusion

As you restructure your insurance plan, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, drivers have reduced full coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

We just covered a lot of ways to reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with a small local company.

Cost effective car insurance is attainable online and with local Tuscaloosa insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.