Costing Too Much for Car Insurance in Ridgeland Mississippi? Here’s How to Save!

Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out.

Since consumers have many companies and agents to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to pick the lowest price company.

Finding the best rates in Ridgeland is not rocket science. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. But Mississippi vehicle owners do need to learn the methods companies use to compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Car insurance companies do not advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

• Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies allow you one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
• Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
• Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
• Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for reduced rates.
• Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Ridgeland, click here to view.

Save Money with These Tips

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into prices.

• No coverage gaps is important – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse will be a sure-fire way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a revoked license or a big fine.
• A clean driving record saves money – Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Just one ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. If you have dangerous violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Is your vehicle built for speed? – The performance level of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are for low performance passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you.
• Being married is a good thing – Being married helps lower the price on your policy. Having a significant other means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Lower miles equals lower premium – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies apply a rate based on their usage. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
• Theft deterrents lower rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions can help discover if you might need an agent’s assistance.

• Do no-fault laws apply in Mississippi?
• If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
• Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Mississippi?
• I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Slick advertising tricks that work

State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy. How can each company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.

Drivers who fall outside this ideal profile will be quoted higher premiums which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. This emphasizes why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More sites with car insurance information

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Mississippi Insurance Department website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, download brochures, read industry bulletins, and view agent and company licensing information.

Final considerations

Cost effective car insurance can be bought both online and also from your neighborhood Ridgeland agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price.

We covered many ideas to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the best price on car insurance is with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.