I can’t think of a single person who cherishes buying auto insurance, particularly when the price is too high. Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to ignore the propoganda and find the best price available.
There are a variety of methods to compare auto insurance prices but one way is less time-consuming than others. You could waste a few hours talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Many insurance companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and each company then returns a price quote determined by their information. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.
The only downside to doing it this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to choose individual companies to compare prices, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. View list of insurance companies.
However you get your quotes, make sure you use the exact same deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be impossible to make an equal comparison.
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but some must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
Shown below are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Professional agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find better rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting small agencies is definitely important in smaller rural communities.
By using this short form, the coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How cool is that?!
When researching a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. agents are either independent (non-captive) or captive. Both insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they differ because it can influence the type of agent you choose
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When shopping rates, we recommend you include at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection.
Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents.
For a complete listing of insurance agents, visit this site.
Picking an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and an affordable coverage quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that will adequately provide auto insurance.
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save after switching to their company.
But how can every company claim to save you money?
All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will be charged more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims.
That is why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
In this article, we covered many ways to save on Chevy Corsica insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.
When you buy insurance online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where someone dropped collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.