New Strategies for Spending Less for on Smyrna Tennessee Car Insurance

No one likes paying for car insurance, particularly when the price is too high.

Because there are so many choices, it is very difficult to choose the lowest price car insurance company.

These discounts can lower your rates

Auto insurance companies don’t always list every discount very clearly, so here is a list some of the best known and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions can help discover whether you will benefit from professional help.

When would I need rental car insurance?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

Some consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! The best thing about comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your information is transmitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?! Get lower rates AND a local agent.

Picking an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Some important questions to ask are:

What insurance company do they write the most business with?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Tennessee?
How are they compensated?
Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Is assistance available after office hours?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?

Types of insurance agencies in Smyrna

When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Smyrna can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Auto insurance in Smyrna Tennessee

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captives are trained well on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

Shown below are Smyrna captive insurance agencies that are able to give comparison quotes.

Allstate Insurance Co – 210 Lake Farm Rd – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 355-4402
State Farm Insurance – 721 President Pl # 200 – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 220-2210
Farmers Insurance Group – 834 Southwoods Dr – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 459-8787

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you should always include several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

The following are independent insurance agencies in Smyrna who can help you get price quotes.

Brindley Insurance – 515 Enon Springs Rd E – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 220-1983
Lewis Insurance – 10579 Cedar Grove Rd # 110 – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 223-1485
Direct General Ins Agency – 304 S Lowry St – Smyrna, TN 37167 – (615) 459-7220

For a full directory of Smyrna insurance agents, go to this page.

Once you have received positive responses for all questions you ask and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that can service your policy.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Car insurance providers like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all have a common claim of big savings if you change your policy. How does each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could be over the age of 50, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for 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 “people who quote” save that much. This is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This emphasizes why you need to compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

More detailed Tennessee car insurance information can be read at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, view a list of available companies, and find a variety of consumer forms.

The following articles may also be useful.

Keep this in mind

Low-cost car insurance can be bought online in addition to many Smyrna insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

You just read quite a bit of information on how to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.