Easy Techniques to Spend Less on Johnson City Car Insurance

Comparison shopping for Johnson City car insurance is hard for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. People have so many choices that it can easily become more work than you anticipated to find lower rates in Johnson City.

It's important to check car insurance prices once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal six months ago you can probably find a better price now. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the only way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Better credit means lower rates - Your credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit score is not that good, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores.
Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Women pay lower rates - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Many car insurance companies give discounts to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with 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 splitting coverages up.
With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in Tennessee are known to be less responsible in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get flagrant violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't always advertise every available discount very well, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you don't get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
One Accident Forgiven - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a set time period.
Braking Control Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

It's important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, you're out of luck.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in Tennessee, click this link.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers in Tennessee can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make the same claim that you can save after switching to them.

But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be charged a higher premium which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why insurance companies can state the savings. That is why you should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

More Tennessee car insurance information

Additional detailed information is available at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and learn about insurance regulations.

Other informative sites include NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of Johnson City insurance agents.

A tidy conclusion

We just presented many ideas to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier.

Insureds change insurance companies for any number of reasons including poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim or even policy cancellation. No matter why you want to switch, switching car insurance companies is easier than you think.

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Johnson City insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.