Comparing Cheap Bluff City Auto Insurance

Are you sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Tennessee consumers.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

Tips to Get Lower Bluff City Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

The list below includes some of the factors used by your company to calculate prices.

  • More claims means more premium - Companies in Tennessee award lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Never go without insurance - Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage might get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Tennessee department of motor vehicles.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like doctors, business owners and financial analysts have higher average rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
  • Pay less if you're married - Being married actually saves money on your policy. Having a significant other translates into being more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder car theft.
  • Careful drivers pay lower rates - A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Even one speeding ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

compare Bluff City auto insurance rates

Compare Bluff City Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways of comparing price quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  1. The fastest way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do boring form submissions to each individual auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes from all major companies.
  2. A more difficult way to compare rate quotes consists of going to the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let's say you want rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

    To view a list of companies in Bluff City, click here.
  3. The least recommended way of comparing rate quotes to local Bluff City insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the trained guidance only provided by licensed Bluff City agents. However, consumers can find lower rates online and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

It's up to you which method you use, but ensure you're using identical coverages on every quote you get. If the quotes have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Bluff City. Quoting even small variations in coverages may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company's prices helps locate lower pricing.

Take advantage of discounts

Car insurance companies do not advertise every discount very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
  • Seat Belts Save - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Paperwork-free - A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Tennessee, click here to view.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all make an identical promise about savings if you move your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who don't qualify for these standards will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings. This emphasizes why you need to compare as many rates as you can. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Even more information is available at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Tennessee consumers can download brochures, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.

Final considerations

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Bluff City, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.