Uncover Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Thibodaux Car Insurance

Feel like you’re a prisoner to overpriced car insurance? Believe me, there are many people just like you.

Because there are so many insurance companies to choose from, it can be diffult for consumers to locate the lowest price provider.

Make smart decisions and save

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

• Never go without insurance – Not having insurance is illegal and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Louisiana motor vehicle department.
• Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a spouse means you’re more responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• How credit affects car insurance rates – Having a bad credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your by repairing your credit.
• Performance makes a difference – The make and model of the car you own makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. Small economy passenger cars receive the most favorable rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Cautious drivers pay less – Even a single moving violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations like DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Don’t skimp on liability – Liability insurance provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
• Men fork out a little more – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Men and women tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.

Don’t overlook these discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

• Student Driver Training – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
• Save over 55 – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
• Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
• Organization Discounts – Affiliation with a qualifying organization may earn a discount when shopping for car insurance.
• Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.

A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way.

To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts in Thibodaux, follow this link.

Compare online but buy from a local Thibodaux agent

Certain consumers prefer to buy from a licensed agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.

After completing this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents in Thibodaux who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Selecting an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
• Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
• How long has their agency been in business in Thibodaux?
• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?

Independent or Captive: It’s your choice

When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two different agency structures that you can select. Thibodaux agents are either captive or independent.

Agency Captives

This type of agents work for only one company such as State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.

The following are Thibodaux captive agents who may provide you with price quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 104 E Bayou Rd # B – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 446-1512
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1539 Highway 1 – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 447-3870
Allstate Insurance – 700b Saint Mary St – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 447-8150

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, we recommend you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Shown below is a short list of independent agents in Thibodaux willing to provide price quotes.

Direct General Ins Agency – 109 Peltier Plz – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 447-3000
Mire’s Insurance – 729 Bayou Rd – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 447-9798
Mouton Insurance Svc Inc – 800 Saint Mary St – Thibodaux, LA 70301 – (985) 446-3375

To view a complete directory of licensed insurance agents in Thibodaux, view this link.

Upon getting good answers to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that can adequately provide car insurance.

Don’t listen to company ads

Progressive, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies say the same thing that you’ll save big after switching your policy. How does each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards will be charged higher premiums which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. That is why you absolutely need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

More information about car insurance

Even more information can be read at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, file complaints about a company, and read consumer alerts.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies. They can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.