Is Your Kingsport, TN Auto Insurance Breaking the Bank?

Sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Tennessee. Popular companies such as State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate increase brand awareness with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to avoid their marketing magic and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

You should make it a habit to get comparison quotes every six months since insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the lowest price last year you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Free Kingsport Auto Insurance Quotes

Finding lower Kingsport auto insurance rates is not rocket science. Drivers just need to take a couple of minutes comparing price quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

Probably the best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for each company you want a rate for. Just one form gets you coverage quotes from all major companies.

Another way to analyze rates is to manually visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want to compare rates from GEICO, Progressive and State Farm. You would have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Kingsport, click here.

The least recommended way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to local Kingsport insurance agencies. The internet can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you have a need for the professional advice only provided by licensed Kingsport agents. It is possible to obtain prices from the web but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing the exact same quote information with each company. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the best price in Kingsport.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are throwing money away.

Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Sign Online – A few companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
Early Signing – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

For a list of insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Kingsport, click here.

Smart Consumers Save More

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Traffic citations inflate rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Women pay lower rates – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
Do you know your deductibles? – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, vandalism, or theft. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Pay less if you’re married – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can help prevent car theft.
Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are many add-on coverages you can purchase on your policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and membership fees are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Big city or small town – Residing in a small town can save you money when it comes to auto insurance. Drivers who live in large cities regularly have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

A small number of people just want to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find the best rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting local businesses is important especially in Kingsport.

Upon completion of this short form, the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents in Kingsport who will battle to get your business. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!

If you want to view a list of agents in Kingsport to contact, please go to this site.

Picking a company shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

What insurance company do they write the most business with?
Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Tennessee?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
Are they full-time agents?

Upon getting satisfactory answers to your questions and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an insurer that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Additional auto insurance information can be read on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, find disaster information, learn about specific coverages, and report car insurance fraud.

Other useful links include this page for auto insurance in Tennessee and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Tennessee drivers can’t ignore all the ads for car insurance savings by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make the same claim that you’ll save big if you move to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Consumers who don’t qualify for these standards will be charged a higher premium which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how companies can truthfully claim big savings.

That is why it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Online plus local equals savings

We’ve covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the lowest premiums are with the least-expected company. They may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Cheaper auto insurance can be purchased on the web and with local Kingsport insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.