Are Your Nissan Altima Auto Insurance Rates Way Too Much?

Expensive auto insurance can empty your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to cut your insurance bill.

Big-name insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive persitently shower you with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to ignore the promise of big savings and find the best price available.

Fast and Easy Auto Insurance Quotes

The are a couple different ways of comparing price quotes from local auto insurance companies. The easiest way to compare insurance prices consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. The best way to get quotes is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing multiple quote forms for every auto insurance company. One form gets you price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
2. A less efficient way to compare rate quotes requires visiting the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want rates from Farmers, State Farm and GMAC. To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
3. The least recommended method of getting rate comparisons is driving around to local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can price shop your coverage online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, ensure you are comparing the exact same coverages and limits with every price quote. If each company quotes different deductibles it’s impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Nissan Altima. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Just remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes provides better odds of finding better pricing.

These factors can influence Nissan Altima insurance rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

• Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
• Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – The liability section of your policy will protect you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
• You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies provide lower rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Things like roadside assistance, towing coverage and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
• Older drivers save more – Teen drivers tend to be more careless behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Parents adding a teen driver onto a policy can be very expensive. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.

Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

• Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount for Altima coverage with certain companies.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Safety Course Discount – Completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.

Are insurance agents a thing of the past?

Some consumers just want to talk to a local agent and that is OK! One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local businesses is important particularly if you live in a smaller city or town.

For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, the quote information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will battle for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to drive around as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Auto insurance agents come in two varieties

When searching for a local agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. agents are classified as either independent or captive.

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you should always contact multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.

Captive Agents

This type of agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Captives are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which can be an advantage.

For a complete listing of insurance agencies, visit this page.

Deciding on an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:

• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in your state?
• How often do they review policy coverages?

Once you have answers to your satisfaction and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide auto insurance.

In the end, you save

In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to save on Nissan Altima insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the best prices are with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.

As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Cost effective Nissan Altima insurance is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.