Getting Cheaper Anchorage Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, there are a lot of people in Anchorage just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Lots of contend to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a and get the best coverage at the lowest rate

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If they aren't giving you every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

  • No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Student Driver Training - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Keeping the miles down could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Federal Government Employee - Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes some of the items that factor into prices.

  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Careers like real estate brokers, architects and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as actors, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Special features that cut premiums - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your car from being stolen.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • You might want pay the small claims yourself - Companies in Alaska provide better rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates - A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Even one ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Alaska drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings if you move your policy.

How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as a mature driver, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't measure up to the "perfect" profile will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Alaska Division of Insurance. Click here for link. Alaska drivers can read industry bulletins, find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, and find disaster information.

In the end, you save

Cheaper auto insurance is possible on the web in addition to many Anchorage insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

In this article, we covered a lot of information how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as .