How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Big Sandy

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Tennessee. There is such a variety of to pick from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

Finding the best rates in Big Sandy is not that difficult. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Tennessee consumers only need to know how to buy car insurance online.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

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

Drive a safer car and pay less - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Too many car insurance claims drive up costs - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Tennessee award lower rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Where you reside plays a part - Being located in a rural area is a positive aspect when talking about car insurance. Drivers who live in large cities regularly have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Fewer people means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as real estate brokers, business owners and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates due to high stress levels and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
Men fork out a little more - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving.
Optional equipment can affect rates - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder car theft.
Little extras can really add up - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and membership fees may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education in high school.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Defensive Driving Course - Completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Big Sandy can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Tennessee, click here to view.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Consumers in Tennessee can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you move your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for these standards must pay higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Even more information can be read at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and read industry bulletins.

Other informative sites include this page for car insurance prices in Tennessee and this page of Big Sandy insurance agents.

A tidy conclusion

The cheapest car insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many Big Sandy insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, make sure you don't buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.