Expert Advice on Lower Monroe Louisiana Car Insurance

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is a great way to lower your monthly bill. Companies like GEICO, Progressive and Allstate continually hit you with catchy ads and it is difficult to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

You should make it a habit to shop coverage around every six months since rates are variable and change quite frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal a year ago other companies may now be cheaper. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance on the internet, so I’m going to show you a bunch of ideas how to save money.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can use these techniques to cut your premiums while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Monroe is quite easy. Louisiana drivers just need to know the tricks to get comparison rates online.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don’t list every discount very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Senior Discount – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
No Claims – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
Resident Student – Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.

Car Insurance Prices in Monroe, Louisiana

All the larger car insurance companies quote pricing on the web. Getting online quotes doesn’t take much effort as you simply enter the coverages you want into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system requests your driving and credit reports and returns a price quote based on these factors. Quoting online streamlines rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step if you want to find the best price possible.

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates makes use of a single form to get prices from several different companies. It saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes comparison shopping a little more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, it is quoted and you can select any or none of the quotes that you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes less than 15 minutes and can result in significant savings.

To compare rates using this form now, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you input deductibles and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you’re receiving rate comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.

Rate influencing factors

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into premiums.

Men pay higher rates – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
Lower deductibles cost more – Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The more you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Insurance for personal injury protection, towing coverage and term life insurance are some examples. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
How many coverages with the same company – The majority of insurance companies will award you with lower prices to customers who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Performance level impacts rates – The performance level of the car you own makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for low performance passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Teen drivers pay high rates – Young drivers in Louisiana have a tendency to be more careless when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. Parents adding a teenage driver to your policy can break the bank. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.

When might I need an agent?

When choosing coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Louisiana consumers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from the likes of Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big if you switch your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims?

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who matches those parameters receives the best rates and most likely will save when switching.

Consumers who don’t meet the requirements must pay higher prices and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why drivers must compare many company’s rates. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Quote often and quote early

We just showed you many ways to get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with the least-expected company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.

Cost effective car insurance is available online and with local Monroe insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

More Louisiana car insurance resources

More detailed Louisiana car insurance information can be found at the Louisiana Department of Insurance website. Louisiana consumers can learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and read state legal mandates and laws.

Also read more on III.org’s auto insurance page and this list of insurance agents in Monroe.