5 Discounts Huntsville Consumers Overlook when Shopping for Car Insurance on the Web

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers.

Big companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate persitently shower you with catchy ads and it is difficult to avoid their marketing magic and find the best price available.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for before you get the savings.

• Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
• Senior Discount – Older drivers can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Discount for Good Grades – This discount can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Alabama, click this link.

Auto insurance coverage information

Knowing the specifics of car insurance can help you determine the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.

Medical expense insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like surgery, prosthetic devices and nursing services. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-93.jpg" alt="lower rates in Huntsville Alabama” />

Collision coverage pays for things like backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Auto liability

Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims like loss of income, emergency aid, attorney fees, pain and suffering and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Alabama requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should consider buying higher limits.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many Alabama drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 25/50/25), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, theft, vandalism and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Much more information about car insurance in Alabama is located on the website for the Alabama Department of Insurance through this link. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, file complaints about a company, and get help finding coverage.

Also read more on this page for Alabama car insurance and this list of agents in Huntsville, AL.

Better coverage you can count on

We just covered some good ideas how you can shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm and Allstate.

When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Affordable car insurance can be purchased on the web and also from your neighborhood Huntsville agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.