Tested Strategies for Low-Cost Vestavia Hills Alabama Car Insurance

No one likes having to buy car insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high.

Since consumers have many choices of insurance companies, it’s nearly impossible to locate the best company.

You need to compare prices once or twice a year since rates are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the internet, so with this article, you’re going to get some excellent ideas to put money back in your pocket.

Save big with these discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but a few must be requested specifically before you get the savings.

• Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off your medical payments premium.
• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
• Paperless Signup – Certain companies will give a small break for buying your policy on their website.
• No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will cut the cost of coverage.

Is my situation unique?

When choosing coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• What are the best liability limits?
• Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

Some consumers just want to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting local businesses is important particularly in Vestavia Hills.

Once you complete this short form, the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Vestavia Hills who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no reason to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier! Get lower rates AND a local agent.

Types of insurance agents

When looking for a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Agencies in Vestavia Hills are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you should always contact at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.

The following are Vestavia Hills independent insurance agencies who can help you get rate quotes.

John Dillon Agency – 100 Olde Towne Rd – Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 – (205) 823-5400
Al Holifield Agency – 1008 Montgomery Hwy # 101 – Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 – (205) 822-8333
Canfield Insurance and Financial – 701 Montgomery Hwy # 207 – Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 – (205) 822-5477
Birmingham Insurance Co Inc – 2820 Columbiana Rd – Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 – (205) 822-7573

Captive Agents

This type of agents can only write with one company and examples are AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They are unable to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are trained well in insurance sales which can be an advantage.

Picking an insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
• How are claims handled?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?

After getting good answers to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Companies like Allstate and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings if you change your policy. How do they all claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a profitable customer could be between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile will be quoted higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s why companies can state the savings.

This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

To find out more about Alabama car insurance

More information can be read on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance through this link. Alabama consumers can read consumer alerts, file complaints about a company, and get help finding coverage.

Keep this in mind

We just covered some good ideas how to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.

The cheapest car insurance is available from both online companies in addition to many Vestavia Hills insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.