Car Insurance in Harrison, AR – 9 Tricks to Lower Rates

Overpriced car insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is a great way to cut your insurance bill. Big-name insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It’s a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates at least once a year since rates go up and down regularly. If you had the best price a few years ago there may be better deals available now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some proven techniques to buy car insurance cheaper.

Discounts are available to cut your rates

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

  • Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
  • Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Braking Control Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
  • Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Distant Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less when compared to bad drivers.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

To choose companies with the best car insurance discounts in Harrison, click this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Arkansas consumers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make the same claim that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who don’t meet these standards will be charged a more expensive rate and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That is how companies can make those claims.

That is why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-108.jpg" alt="Arkansas car insurance prices” />

Car insurance coverages 101

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the usual coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Comprehensive coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as rock chips in glass, vandalism, hitting a bird and hitting a deer. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Liability – This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 that translate to a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as bail bonds, emergency aid, loss of income, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Arkansas state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for bills like doctor visits, EMT expenses, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many Arkansas drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Most of the time these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

save money in Harrison

Collision insurance covers claims such as driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car, damaging your car on a curb and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Additional information is available on the website for the Arkansas Insurance Department through this link. Arkansas drivers can read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, and learn about specific coverages.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Harrison

Final thoughts

The cheapest car insurance can be purchased online and also from your neighborhood Harrison agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.