Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Dayton Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me when I say you're not alone.

Popular companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Dayton is quite easy. Nevertheless, Tennessee drivers do need to know the way companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few must be asked for in order for you to get them.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education if offered at their school.
No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Dayton can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
Theft Prevention Discount - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Paperless Signup - A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing digitally online.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

Drive a safer car and pay less - Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Occupations such as judges, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates due to job stress and long work days. Other occupations such as actors, historians and retirees pay the least.
Little extras can really add up - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem good initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Adjust deductibles and save - Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and burglary. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
Claim-free discounts can add up - Auto insurance companies in Tennessee award cheaper rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is designed for the large, substantial claims.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Some insurers will award you with lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, it's still a good idea to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying auto insurance from a different company.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you change your policy. How can each company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the requirements must pay more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.

This illustrates why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Find out more about auto insurance

Additional auto insurance information is located on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance found here. Tennessee consumers can find disaster information, view a list of available companies, read industry bulletins, and discover disciplinary actions.

Do the work, save more money

Cost effective auto insurance is attainable online in addition to many Dayton insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.