Expert Advice on Paying Less for Goodyear, AZ Car Insurance

Overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to lower your monthly bill. Many insurers vie for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the absolute lowest rate possible.

It’s important to shop coverage around quite often because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. So just forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because we’re going to show you one of the quickest ways to lower your annual insurance bill.

Educated Consumers Know How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Credit scores impact car insurance rates – Having a bad credit rating is a big factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower ratings. If your credit rating can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Men fork out a little more – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. They both have accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
Save money with special equipment – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
Where you reside plays a part – Choosing to live in less populated areas has it’s advantages when it comes to car insurance. Urban drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Lower population means fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Better crash test results mean better rates – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
Pay less if you’re married – Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your policy. It usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
With age comes lower rates – Teenage drivers in Arizona are statistically proven to be more careless when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
Claim-free discounts can add up – If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to higher rates. Car insurance companies in Arizona give lower rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be asked for prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.

Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
Paperwork-free – A few companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
No Accidents – Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared to accident-prone drivers.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Arizona, click here.

Neighborhood agents for car insurance

Certain consumers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! Licensed agents can help determine the best coverages and help file insurance claims. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local businesses is important especially in Goodyear.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information is sent to participating agents in Goodyear who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to leave your computer as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!

Different types of Goodyear auto insurance agents

When finding an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Goodyear are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). While both can write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn how they are different since it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from. insurance quote Goodyear

Listed below are independent agents in Goodyear willing to provide comparison quotes.

Select Auto Insurance – 820 E Van Buren St # 112 – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 932-5643
Academy Insurance – 18093 W Santa Alberta Ln – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 935-5688

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. These agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

The following are captive insurance agencies in Goodyear that can give you price quote information.

Farmers Insurance Group – 14122 W Mcdowell Rd – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 925-9411
State Farm Insurance – 1616 N Litchfield Rd # 125 – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 878-3401
Farm Bureau Insurance – 3673 S Bullard Ave # 101 – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 925-0190
Allstate Insurance Co – 219 N Litchfield Rd – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 932-3296
American Family Insurance – 1616 N Litchfield Rd # 135 – Goodyear, AZ 85338 – (623) 535-5836

To view a complete directory of Goodyear captive insurance agents, visit this site.

Selecting an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the price. These questions are important to ask:

Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
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?

Upon getting acceptable answers to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an insurance agency that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.

Do car insurance companies bend the truth?

Arizona drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy.

How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be a mature driver, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay higher rates and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can truthfully state the savings.

This illustrates why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Do I need special coverages?

When it comes to buying coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.

Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Arizona?
Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Arizona?
How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Informative consumer insurance sites

Much more information about car insurance in Arizona is located on the website for the Arizona Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find out industry alerts.

A little work can save a LOT of money

You just read many ways to compare car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

Discount car insurance is available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Goodyear, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.