How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Cookeville

Have you had enough of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other drivers in Tennessee. Numerous battle for your business, so it's not easy to compare every and get the definite lowest price

It's important to do rate comparisons before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Cookeville

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

Men pay higher rates - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Men and women cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Jobs such as judges, architects and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, athletes and performers have the lowest average rates.
Teen drivers pay high rates - Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers are known to be more careless in a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
Liability coverage is cheap - Liability coverage will protect you if ever you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Your credit rating is important - Credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit score is not that good, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores.
Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Many companies will give a discount to insureds who buy several policies from them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.

How to Compare Cookeville Auto Insurance Rates

All major auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm provide pricing directly from their websites. This process is pretty easy as you just type in into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system will obtain credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote based on many factors. Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit several different sites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find a lower rate.

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form that gets price quotes from several different companies. It's a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online quotes much easier to do. After sending your information, it gets priced and you can select any of the resulting price quotes.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and complete the simple form. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you duplicate deductibles and limits as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but a few must be asked for prior to getting the savings. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get reduced rates.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
Multiple Vehicles - Having multiple vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Cookeville, follow this link.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Tennessee can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing about savings after switching to them.

How do they all claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who do not match the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to compare as many rates as you can. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Additional information is located on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Click here for link. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Best coverage at the best price

As you prepare to switch companies, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.

Cheaper auto insurance can be bought both online and with local Cookeville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.