Are you a victim of an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you’re not the only one. Insurance companies such as GEICO, Farmers Insurance and State Farm all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.
Free Quotes for Auto Insurance
Cutting your auto insurance rates is surprisingly easy. All that’s required is to take the time to get quotes online from several insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.
- The single most time-saving way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for repetitive form entry for each company. Taking the time to complete one form will return price quotes .
- A more difficult way to compare prices requires a visit to each individual company website and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want rates from USAA, GEICO and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
- The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to local insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you require the personal advice only provided by licensed agents. Drivers can compare online quotes and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll cover that in a bit.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare exactly the same coverage limits with each company. If you have different deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine which rate is truly the best.
Drivers who switch save $424 a year? Really?
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies make the same claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.
How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who don’t measure up to the requirements will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the savings. This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.
Save money by taking advantage of these discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% for Suburban coverage depending on your company.
- Own a Home – Owning a home can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of more than 20%.
- New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
To see a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts, click this link.
Buying auto insurance from a local agent
Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! Professional agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is emailed to participating agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy!
Deciding on an insurance company should depend on more than just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- How long has their agency been open?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Types of insurance agents
When searching for a local agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents from which to choose. Agents are either independent or captive. While both can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ since it can impact your agent selection.
Agency Captives
Captive agencies work for only one company such as State Farm or Allstate. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, you should always include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
To view a full list of agencies, visit this page.
Once you have received good answers for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that can adequately provide auto insurance.
Best coverage at the best price
In this article, we presented a lot of techniques to save on Chevy Suburban insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the best prices are with an unexpected company. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
