Auto Insurance in Prichard – 5 Ways to Save Money

Overpriced auto insurance can empty your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparing price quotes is a great way to help make ends meet.

You have so many insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest cost provider.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don’t always list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.

• Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
• Early Switch Discount – Select companies give a discount for signing up before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Senior Discount – Mature drivers may receive better auto insurance rates.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a set time period.

Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

All major auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive provide coverage prices directly from their websites. Getting quotes is fairly simple as you just type in into the quote form. After you complete the form, their rating system makes automated requests for credit information and your driving record and returns a price quote. Online price quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to different websites and type in the same information is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s absolutely necessary to compare as many rates as possible in order to get the lowest price.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to get multiple rate quotes uses one form that gets prices from many companies. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes rate comparisons a little more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, it is quoted and you are able to buy any of the returned quotes. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

If you want to compare rates using this form now, click here to open in a new tab and submit your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter the coverage information identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will get rate quotes for similar coverage.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions might help in determining if your situation might need professional guidance.

• What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
• At what point should I drop full coverage?
• Do I qualify for additional discounts?
• Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
• Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Auto insurance coverage options

Knowing the specifics of auto insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Collision coverage

This will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers things such as hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage 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.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for immediate expenses for things like funeral costs, dental work, chiropractic care, ambulance fees and nursing services. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability

This coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage pays for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Alabama state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as theft, fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Quote more, save more

When you buy insurance online, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is available both online in addition to many Prichard insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.