It’s a known fact that car insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Insureds who compare other prices will presumably move their business because they have good chances of finding more affordable rates. A recent study showed that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved an average of $3,500 over four years compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding the best rates on Nissan Leaf insurance in Anchorage is the reason for your visit, then learning a little about how to quote prices and compare coverages can make shopping around easier.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get discount car insurance rates is to do a yearly price comparison from companies that sell auto insurance in Anchorage.
- Get a basic knowledge of policy coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a low credit score can be improved by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Keep reading for more ideas to find cheap rates and get additional discounts that may be available.
- Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate quote and decide to switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
A good tip to remember is to make sure you’re comparing the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. Doing this enables the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
How Your Leaf Insurance Rates are Determined
Many different elements are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, although some other factors are more obscure like your continuous coverage or how safe your car is. An important part of buying insurance is that you know a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating insurance rates. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate your prices.
Vehicle features impact prices – Purchasing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your rates. Theft deterrent systems such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent auto theft.
How much liability insurance do you need? – Liability coverage kicks in if a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
Vocation stress can affect premiums – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupations such as lawyers, business owners, and medical professionals tend to have the highest average rates in part from intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, careers such as scientists, athletes and performers pay the least.
Do you really need to file those insurance claims? – Car insurance companies in Alaska generally give the best rates to policyholders who only file infrequent claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Good drivers pay better rates – Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Good drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to careless drivers. Drivers with license-revoking citations like reckless driving or DUI may find that they have to to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Vehicles with better crash test results means cheaper rates – Safer cars tend to be cheaper to insure. Safer cars help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and any reduction in injury severity means your insurance company pays less and thus lower rates.
Nissan Leaf claim data – Auto insurance companies use statistical claims data to help determine costs. Vehicles that the statistics show to have higher claim amounts or frequency will cost more to insure. The table below demonstrates the actual insurance loss data for Nissan Leaf vehicles.
For each coverage category, the claim probability for all vehicles averaged together is considered to be 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate better than average losses, while values over 100 indicate frequent claims or tendency to have higher losses.
| Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Leaf Electric | 89 | 84 | 45 | 83 | 64 | 76 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Affordable Anchorage auto insurance quotes with discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t list every discount very clearly, so the next list breaks down a few of the more common and the harder-to-find credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Anchorage auto insurance online.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a defensive driver course is a good idea and can lower rates depending on where you live.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles are generally safer.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared with bad drivers.
- Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow driving data collection to analyze when and where they use their vehicle remotely like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates if they show good driving skills.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but some insurance companies will let one accident slide without raising rates so long as you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who live away from home to go to college and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company they may give you a discount of nearly 15% which can help you find the cheapest Nissan Leaf insurance in Anchorage.
- Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than spreading payments over time you could save 5% or more.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can stop better under adverse conditions and earn discounts up to 10%.
Policy discounts save money, but most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will lower the amount you have to pay.
For a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Anchorage, follow this link.
How much can you save?
Cheaper Nissan Leaf insurance in Anchorage can be found online in addition to many Anchorage insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and usually these smaller providers work with local independent agents.
When shopping online for car insurance, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Additional car insurance information is available on the following sites:
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
- Who Has the Cheapest Anchorage Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Homeowners in Anchorage? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Low Income Drivers in Anchorage? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Low Credit Scores in Anchorage? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Explorer in Anchorage? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Versa in Anchorage? (FAQ)
- How Much are Anchorage Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Ram? (FAQ)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)