You’ve seen the captivating ads from car insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive that promise enormous savings. So drivers should just pick the company with the cutest commercial, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a ton of unknown factors like the amount of liability coverage you want, if you are married, and what your desired deductibles are, that all impact the cost of your policy. If you keep reading, we will teach you about these topics and hopefully give you enough understanding to have some help in finding cheaper rates.
Deciding which companies offer the best auto insurance rates for immigrants will require more time than just quoting one company’s rates. Each insurer uses their own formula to establish rates, so let’s take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in New Orleans, LA.
Keep in mind that New Orleans auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the policy price. Simply turning a year older, filing a claim, or getting a few speeding tickets can trigger price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper in comparison to the competition.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Migrants
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,626 |
| 2 | MetLife | $1,892 |
| 3 | GEICO | $1,965 |
| 4 | Progressive | $2,005 |
| 5 | Safeway | $2,154 |
| 6 | Southern Farm Bureau | $2,271 |
| 7 | California Casualty | $2,338 |
| 8 | State Farm | $2,431 |
| 9 | Safe Auto | $2,653 |
| 10 | Allstate | $2,945 |
| 11 | Encompass | $3,138 |
| 12 | Liberty Mutual | $3,719 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the most affordable car insurance rates in New Orleans at around $1,626 annually. This is $788 less than the average premium paid by Louisiana drivers of $2,414. MetLife, GEICO, Progressive, and Safeway also make the cut as some of the most economical New Orleans, LA auto insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are insured with Progressive and switched to USAA, you could see a yearly savings of around $379. Louisiana drivers with Safeway may save as much as $528 a year, and Southern Farm Bureau insureds might lower prices by $645 a year.
To find out how much you can save, click here to get quotes or click through to the companies below.
It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in a specific location for immigrants. So the company that fits your needs best may not even be in the top 12 companies in the list above. That is why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personal information and vehicle type.
For foreigners, one of the more important considerations that are looked at to help calculate the cost of insurance is the neighborhood you call home in New Orleans. Cities with larger populations tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from lower coverage costs.
The information below rates the most expensive places in Louisiana for immigrants to buy auto insurance in. New Orleans is ranked #1 with the yearly price of $2,943 for coverage, which is approximately $245 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | $2,943 |
| 2 | Harvey | $2,563 |
| 3 | Terrytown | $2,555 |
| 4 | Marrero | $2,469 |
| 5 | Metairie | $2,232 |
| 6 | Baton Rouge | $2,231 |
| 7 | Central | $2,201 |
| 8 | Prairieville | $2,169 |
| 9 | Kenner | $2,159 |
| 10 | Shenandoah | $2,118 |
| 11 | Alexandria | $2,117 |
| 12 | Hammond | $2,065 |
| 13 | Lake Charles | $1,993 |
| 14 | Laplace | $1,991 |
| 15 | Slidell | $1,919 |
| 16 | Lafayette | $1,917 |
| 17 | Monroe | $1,911 |
| 18 | Sulphur | $1,896 |
| 19 | New Iberia | $1,871 |
| 20 | Houma | $1,846 |
| 21 | Shreveport | $1,838 |
| 22 | Natchitoches | $1,817 |
| 23 | Bayou Cane | $1,782 |
| 24 | Bossier City | $1,744 |
| 25 | Ruston | $1,669 |
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Rate quotes are comparative as the specific zip code location can change insurance rates substantially.
Cost of full coverage in New Orleans
Paying less for auto insurance is probably important to the majority of drivers, and one common way to lower the cost of insurance for immigrants is to only buy liability coverage. The diagram below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data is based on no violations or accidents, $100 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
If all age groups are averaged, physical damage coverage costs $2,655 per year more than just insuring for liability. That is a big expense that brings up the question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no set rule to delete full coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s replacement value is $11,500 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $10,500 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying in excess of $1,050 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
How accidents and tickets impact rates
The easiest method to receive low auto insurance premiums in Louisiana for foreigners is to drive safe and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The diagram below shows how violations and fender-benders can drive up insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The costs are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
In the previous example, the average cost of an auto insurance policy in New Orleans per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,489. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,739, an increase of $250 each year. Now include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for immigrants increases to an average of $4,095. That’s an increase of $2,606, or $217 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Best auto insurance in Louisiana
Picking the right insurance provider is difficult considering how many different companies there are to choose from in New Orleans. The information shown next can help you pick which insurers you want to consider to insure your vehicles.
These rankings are only made up of companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Louisiana will not be included in these rankings. To check rates from these top-rated insurers and more, follow this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
| Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
How to find low-cost auto insurance for immigrants
The list below details some of the better penny-pinching ideas that can help New Orleans drivers find lower-cost coverage.
- Buying home and auto insurance together can earn discounts
- Drive vehicles with five-star safety ratings
- If possible, do not file small claims
- Improve your credit score
- Full coverage may not be needed on older vehicles
- Increase deductibles to save money
- Compare prices frequently to find the best deal
That last tip is remarkably critical, as we emphasized in the prior article. Prices charged by car insurance companies in New Orleans change a lot, so don’t be tentative to switch companies if a better rate can be found.
Having a favorite company is great, but it’s not recommended if that loyalty results in overpaying a small fortune. It only take a few minutes to shop around and find cheaper auto insurance for immigrants.