Easy Tips to Cut Costs on Dothan Alabama Car Insurance

Price shopping your Dothan car insurance can seem to be challenging for people who are new to buying insurance online. You have so many choices that it can turn into a lot of work to compare prices in Dothan.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Auto insurance companies don’t always list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving.

• Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in high school.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
• Defensive Driver – Taking a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
• Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Alabama, click this link.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Dothan

There are several ways to get quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The simplest method to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quote forms for each company. Just one form gets rate comparisons from all major companies. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.

A more time consuming way to get quotes online requires you to visit each company’s website and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll pretend you want rates from Auto-Owners, Farmers and Progressive. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Dothan, click here.

Whichever way you use, ensure you are comparing the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you have different liability limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Dothan. Just a small difference in coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, more quotes helps you find a lower rate.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

• Your car’s features help determine rates – Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
• Women pay lower rates – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men are in accidents in similar numbers, but men have costlier accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
• Better credit means lower rates – Having a bad credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower ratings. If your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your by repairing your credit.
• You might want pay the small claims yourself – Auto insurance companies in Alabama generally give better rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you file claims often, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
• Mature drivers pay less – Teenage drivers in Alabama tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving so car insurance rates are higher. Having to add a teen driver onto a policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
• Marriage pays dividends – Getting married actually saves money on your policy. It means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
• Never let your coverage lapse – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance expire. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Alabama motor vehicle department.
• Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

• Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Alabama?
• Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Alabama?
• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

More comparisons equals lower rates

When shopping online for car insurance, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced collision coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

You just learned many ideas to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as delays in paying claims, high rates after DUI convictions, high prices or delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is easier than you think.

For more Alabama car insurance information

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Consumers can learn about specific coverages, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include this online resource for car insurance quotes in Alabama and this resource to find Dothan, AL insurance agents.