Tightwads Guide to Saving on Covington Car Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account, especially in this economy. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet.

With so many insurance companies to choose from, it's difficult to locate the right provider.

This information will teach you the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. But Tennessee consumers do need to know how companies sell insurance online.

How much can you save with discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before being credited.

Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
Multiple Policy Discount - If you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
Anti-lock Brake System - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for car insurance.
Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
Claim Free - Drivers who don't have accidents pay less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
Driver's Ed - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver's ed class in school.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent's advice.

Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
What are the best liability limits?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Tennessee?
Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?

If you're not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't meet this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. This is how companies can make those claims.

This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Learn more about car insurance in Tennessee

Much more information about car insurance in Tennessee can be read on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance located here. Visitors are able to download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and read consumer alerts.

Also read more on this online resource for car insurance quotes in Tennessee and this list of insurance agents in Covington.

Do the work, save more money

While you're price shopping online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

We just presented some good ideas how you can reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with the least-expected company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like .