Tightwads Guide for Saving on Ashland Car Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, there are lots of people in the same boat. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates at least once a year because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal a couple years back you can probably find a better price now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you're going to learn the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Ashland Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Women pay lower rates - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy on your policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, towing coverage and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they're wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Being married can save on car insurance - Being married can get you a discount on your car insurance policy. It means you're more mature and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Careful drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
With age comes lower rates - Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are known to be less responsible when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
One company can mean more discounts - Many car insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, you still need to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. You may still find a better deal by splitting coverages up.

Save big with these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before being credited. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.

55 and Retired - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get better car insurance rates.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Ashland may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Discount for Good Grades - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.

It's important to note that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.

To choose companies who offer car insurance discounts in Ashland, click this link.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Consumers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save after switching to their company.

How can each company make the same claim?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who matches those parameters will get very good rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay higher prices which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Find out more about car insurance

More information is available on the website for the New Hampshire Insurance Department located here. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, get help finding coverage, and find disaster information.

In the end, you save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Ashland agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.