Tightwads Lessons for Saving on Jackson Tennessee Auto Insurance

Have you fallen victim to an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat.

There is such a variety of car insurance companies to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to find a good deal.

It’s a good habit to do rate comparisons yearly because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest price on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to find out how to quote online to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Cut your premium with discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but a few need to be inquired about before being credited.

• Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
• Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if you qualify.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.
• Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free prior to the accident.

It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

For a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates in Tennessee, click here to view.

Auto Insurance Comparison Rates in Jackson, Tennessee

There are several ways to get quotes and find the best price. The best method to find the cheapest insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The recommended way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. One form submission gets you coverage quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.

A slightly less efficient method to compare prices consists of going to each company’s website to complete a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want rates from Liberty Mutual, State Farm and GEICO. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Jackson, click here.

The least recommended way of comparing rate quotes is driving to local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, comparison shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll talk about that later.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using exactly the same quote information for every company. If you have higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Jackson. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. Just remember that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding better pricing.

Get Cheaper Rates by Understanding Pricing

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• Little extras can really add up – There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Performance makes a difference – The performance level of the vehicle you own makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for low performance passenger vehicles, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Males pay more for insurance – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. They both tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
• Lower rates with optional equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
• Traffic citations inflate rates – Just one ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
• High numbers of claims are not good – Auto insurance companies in Tennessee give cheaper rates to drivers who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.

Shop online but buy locally

A small number of people just want to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local businesses is definitely important in Jackson.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the quote information gets sent to local insurance agents in Jackson who will battle for your business. There is no reason to even leave your home as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

If you wish to view a list of agents in Jackson to contact, please view this page.

Deciding on a company should depend on more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:

• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
• How long has their agency been open in Jackson?

Upon getting acceptable answers to all your questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an provider that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Auto insurance myths debunked

Auto insurance providers like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing about savings if you change to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. A driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who fall outside the requirements will have to pay higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

In conclusion

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Jackson insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. They often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

Some additional reading

Much more information about auto insurance in Tennessee is available on the website for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance found here. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, and read state legal mandates and laws.