8 Must-Know Tips When Looking for the Best Deal on Evansville Auto Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.

Having so many different company options, it is hard for the average consumer to locate the lowest price insurer.

Finding affordable auto insurance coverage in Evansville is not that difficult. Basically, every vehicle owner who is shopping for auto insurance will most likely be able to lower their premiums. Although Wyoming vehicle owners should learn the way insurance companies market on the web and take advantage of how the system works.

Get Cheaper Rates by Understanding Pricing

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that go into determining your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Mature drivers pay less – Older insureds are more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers tend to be less responsible when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Pay less if you’re married – Being married helps lower the price on auto insurance. It means you’re more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
  • More people means more accidents – Residing in a rural area has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Drivers in populated areas tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Lower population means fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
  • Never allow your policy to lapse – Not having insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Wyoming department of motor vehicles.
  • Extra coverages can waste money – There are a lot of extra coverages that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • High numbers of claims are not good – Auto insurance companies in Wyoming provide discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is designed for the large, substantial claims.
  • Type of vehicle determines base rates – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for small economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart car theft.

Don’t overlook these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available that many people don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before you get the savings.

  • No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
  • Senior Citizens – Older drivers may receive reduced rates.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Resident Student – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
  • Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current expiration date. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.

It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Evansville, click this link.

Buying car insurance locally

Certain consumers just want to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you may find the best rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local businesses is definitely important in Evansville.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your insurance data gets sent to local insurance agents in Evansville who will give you bids to get your business. You won’t need to drive around since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! Get lower rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Evansville insurance agencies come in two flavors

If you’re trying to find an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Evansville can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

These agents are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agencies work for only one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Captives are trained well in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Selecting an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:

  • Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
  • Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
  • What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
  • Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
  • Will your rates increase after a single accident?
  • Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
  • Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
  • Are they full-time agents?

Once you have acceptable answers for all questions you ask and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.

Additional auto insurance information is located on the website for the Wyoming Insurance Department found here. Wyoming drivers can learn about specific coverages, report car insurance fraud, get help finding coverage, and learn about insurance regulations.

The following articles may also be useful.

Smart shoppers get results

Low-cost auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Evansville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with the smaller companies. These companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.