It goes without saying that insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Insureds who shop around for cheaper rates are inclined to switch auto insurance companies because there is a significant possibility of finding better rates. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that people who compared rates once a year saved approximately $865 annually as compared to drivers who never compared other company’s rates.
If finding the lowest price on Mercury Sable insurance is your target objective, then learning about the best ways to find and compare insurance rates can make the process less intimidating.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get cheaper Mercury Sable insurance in New Orleans is to begin comparing prices regularly from different companies that insure vehicles in Louisiana. Price quotes can be compared by following these steps.
- First, get a basic knowledge of how your policy works and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates like speeding and poor credit history can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. This article provides the details to get cheaper coverage and find missing discounts.
- Second, request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote rates for many different companies.
- Third, compare the quotes to your current policy premium to determine if you can save on Sable insurance. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Fourth, give notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a signed application and payment for your new policy. As soon as you have the new policy, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in your vehicle.
One thing to point out is to try to use identical coverages on every quote and and to get prices from as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce the price you pay using these methods. Obtaining price quotes for the most affordable car insurance in New Orleans is easy if you know what you’re doing. But Louisiana vehicle owners need to learn the way insurance companies calculate their prices and apply this information to your search.
Cheap companies for Mercury Sable insurance in Louisiana
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide comparison quotes in Louisiana. In order to find cheap car insurance in Louisiana, we recommend you visit as many as you can to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
These nine discounts can lower your auto insurance rates
Auto insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even know about. A few discounts will be applied when you purchase, but occasionally some discounts must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a New Orleans auto insurance quote. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up to age 25.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Driving Data Discount – Insureds who allow their company to study driving manner by using a telematic data system such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may get a rate reduction as long as the data is positive.
- ABS Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Senior Citizen Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up could save 15% on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with one insurance company you may save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Online Discount – Certain companies will give a small break get New Orleans auto insurance on your computer.
Remember that most discount credits are not given to the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will lower the cost of coverage.
Some of the insurance companies that may include these benefits possibly include:
When quoting, ask every insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts listed above may not apply everywhere.
Everyone needs different car insurance coverages
Always keep in mind that when comparing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Your needs are unique to you.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Can my teen drive my company car?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Does my policy cover me if I wreck while driving under the influence?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- What is the premium to book value ratio for dropping full coverage?
- Are there any extra discounts I can get?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Independent versus exclusive auto insurance agents
A lot of people still like to talk to an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. One of the benefits of comparing car insurance online is that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents in New Orleans who will gladly provide quotes for your coverage. There is no need to search for an agent since price quotes are sent directly to your email. You can find better rates AND a local agent. If you want to get a price quote from a specific company, you can always jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding a good provider is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. Any agent in New Orleans should be forthright in answering these questions:
- How many companies do they write for?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
If you need to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of agencies and how they function. Agents are classified as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive insurance agents work for only one company and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. They are unable to shop your coverage around so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. A lot of people use the same agent partially due to loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.
The following is a list of exclusive insurance agents in New Orleans who may provide you with price quotes.
- Derek Morel – State Farm Insurance Agent
5555 Bullard Ave #104 – New Orleans, LA 70128 – (504) 247-9241 – View Map - State Farm: Chris Nolan
Place St. Charles, 201 St Charles Ave #224 – New Orleans, LA 70170 – (504) 522-9560 – View Map - Carl Mixon – State Farm Insurance Agent
4716 Canal St – New Orleans, LA 70119 – (504) 482-7897 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
These type of agents can sell policies from many different companies so they can write business through lots of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If you want to switch companies, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to switch agencies.
If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you compare prices from at least one independent agent to get the best comparison. Many can place coverage with mutual insurance companies which may provide better rates.
Listed below are New Orleans independent agencies willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Whitney Insurance Agency
650 Poydras St Suite 1500 – New Orleans, LA 70130 – (504) 581-5353 – View Map - Lovecchio Insurance
1510 Robert E Lee Blvd – New Orleans, LA 70122 – (504) 284-7778 – View Map - Pappalardo Agency, Inc.
145 Robert E Lee Blvd #202 – New Orleans, LA 70124 – (504) 486-7441 – View Map
After talking to the agent and getting good answers to these questions as well as an affordable premium quote, you may have found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to provide car insurance coverage. But remember, you are entitled to cancel coverage for any reason so don’t feel that you are permanently stuck with any specific agency indefinitely.
Car insurance 101
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
This covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as theft, hitting a bird and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Medical expense insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for expenses like rehabilitation expenses, pain medications and ambulance fees. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Collision insurance
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as backing into a parked car, hitting a parking meter, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible on your Sable in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability coverages
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 15/30/25 that translate to $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability can pay for claims like loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. Louisiana requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/25 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below demonstrates why minimum state limits may not be enough.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
This coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (Louisiana limits are 15/30/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.
Affordable auto insurance rates are possible
Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like questionable increases in premium, lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers and even delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company is not as hard as you think.
Lower-priced auto insurance in New Orleans can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not provide price quotes online and usually these smaller providers prefer to sell through local independent agents.
You just read many ways to compare Mercury Sable insurance rates in New Orleans. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding low cost New Orleans auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.
More information can be found on the following sites:
- Car Insurance FAQ (Trusted Choice)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Teenagers in New Orleans? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets in New Orleans? (FAQ)
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)