Tightwads Guide for Saving on Goodlettsville Auto Insurance

Are you tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Tennessee drivers. Popular companies such as GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Goodlettsville is quite easy. Tennessee drivers only need an understanding of the most effective way to compare prices online.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

You might want pay the small claims yourself - Companies in Tennessee generally give cheaper rates to policyholders who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
How many coverages with the same company - Most insurance companies provide better rates to customers who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. If you currently are using one company, it's in your best interest to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.
Protect your assets with liability insurance - Liability insurance will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Men and women have accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Safer occupants lowers premiums - Safer cars get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Careers like doctors, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from job stress and long work hours. Other occupations like farmers, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
Do you need those extra coverages? - There are many extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. If you have serious violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.

Cheap Goodlettsville Auto Insurance Comparisons

Comparing auto insurance rates can be a lot of work if you don't understand the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Goodlettsville, or you can stay home and use the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company provides a quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only downside to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Tennessee. Click here for list of insurance companies in Tennessee.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you're using exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If your comparisons have different liability limits you will not be able to find the best deal in Goodlettsville.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance companies don't always advertise every discount in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in school.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with a few auto insurance companies.
Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
No Accidents - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
Multi-car Discount - Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company qualifies for this discount.
One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
Anti-theft System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.

Consumers should know that some credits don't apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way.

To choose insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Goodlettsville, click here.

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

Tennessee consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim of big savings if you switch to their company.

How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't meet the requirements will be quoted a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently make those claims. 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.

More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Tennessee consumers can download brochures, read consumer alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about insurance regulations.

Best coverage at the best price

While you're price shopping online, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn't purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Cost effective auto insurance can be found online and also from your neighborhood Goodlettsville agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.