Opelika Alabama Auto Insurance For Less Than You’re Paying Now

Expensive auto insurance can empty your bank account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Having so many insurance providers from which to choose, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the lowest cost company.

You need to compare prices at least once a year because prices trend upward over time. If you had the lowest rates a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the easiest ways to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Opelika, AL

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend countless hours driving to agents in Opelika, or you could use online quoting to achieve your goal.

Many popular insurance companies take part in a program that enables customers to submit their information once, and each company can provide price quotes based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company.

To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.

The single downside to doing it this way is buyers cannot specifically choose the providers to get quotes from. If you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Alabama. View list of Alabama insurance companies.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If each company quotes different liability limits it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Opelika.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Alabama consumers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings from companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings after switching your policy.

How does each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a preferred risk might be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who do not match these standards will be charged a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. That is why you need to compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

• Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
• Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
• No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Opelika, follow this link.

How to know if you need help

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.

• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
• Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Alabama?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Even more information is located at the Alabama Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, discover disciplinary actions, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal

In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best prices are with a small mutual company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price.