The words “low-priced” and “auto insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when you are trying to find the lowest insurance rates for retired military. Let’s go over some situations that impact insurance premiums, and find a few ways to reduce the cost of the next policy you buy.
One of the more important things that help determine auto insurance rates is where you call home in Scottsdale. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with less congestion can boast about having cheaper rates.
The illustration below shows the highest-priced places in Arizona for retired military to buy auto insurance in. Scottsdale is ranked at #5 with the annual price of $1,151 for the average insured, which is approximately $96 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | $1,255 |
| 2 | Avondale | $1,222 |
| 3 | San Tan Valley | $1,185 |
| 4 | Glendale | $1,178 |
| 5 | Scottsdale | $1,151 |
| 6 | Tempe | $1,140 |
| 7 | Mesa | $1,125 |
| 8 | Goodyear | $1,120 |
| 9 | Gilbert | $1,120 |
| 10 | Chandler | $1,115 |
| 11 | Buckeye | $1,110 |
| 12 | Peoria | $1,093 |
| 13 | Casa Grande | $1,079 |
| 14 | Maricopa | $1,074 |
| 15 | Casas Adobes | $1,072 |
| 16 | Tucson | $1,072 |
| 17 | Oro Valley | $1,062 |
| 18 | Catalina Foothills | $1,050 |
| 19 | Surprise | $1,048 |
| 20 | Flagstaff | $960 |
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Information shown are approximated as the specific Scottsdale residence address can decrease or increase rates noticeably.
The car, truck, or SUV needing coverage is probably the most important factor when shopping around for the most economical car insurance for retired military. Vehicles with average performance, modern passenger safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than high performance models. The next list features coverage rates for a number of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,497 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,506 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,512 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,519 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,512 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,541 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,548 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,615 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,623 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,633 |
| Kia Optima LX | $1,623 |
| Ford F-350 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $1,651 |
| Honda Civic EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,672 |
| Ford Focus SE 2-Dr Coupe | $1,702 |
| Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,707 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,708 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,717 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,713 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $1,723 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,772 |
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Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can raise or lower coverage rates significantly.
Based upon these rates, we can assume that makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Malibu are a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for veterans.
Trying to buy cost effective auto insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and deciding which company quotes the lowest-priced car insurance rates for retired military requires a bit more work. Each auto insurer uses a little different formula for establishing rates, so we’ll take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Arizona.
It’s important that readers know that Scottsdale car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of having a policy. Simply turning a year older, buying a newer car, or getting a speeding ticket may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies cheaper than others.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Vets
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $836 |
| 2 | Auto-Owners | $888 |
| 3 | Safeco | $896 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,086 |
| 5 | USAA | $1,124 |
| 6 | GEICO | $1,131 |
| 7 | Progressive | $1,164 |
| 8 | Ameriprise Group | $1,172 |
| 9 | CSAA | $1,177 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,209 |
| 11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,297 |
| 12 | Safe Auto | $1,323 |
| 13 | Unitrin | $1,357 |
| 14 | State Farm | $1,377 |
| 15 | Farmers | $1,391 |
| 16 | Amica | $1,429 |
| 17 | Titan | $1,461 |
| 18 | American Family | $1,478 |
| 19 | MetLife | $1,505 |
| 20 | California Casualty | $1,522 |
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The Hartford offers some of the lowest car insurance rates in Scottsdale at around $836 each year. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and USAA also are some of the more affordable Scottsdale, AZ car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you have coverage with Safeco and switched to The Hartford, you might realize annual savings of in the vicinity of $60. Insureds with Travelers might save as much as $250 a year, and USAA insureds might lower prices by $288 a year.
To discover how much you can save, click here or quote prices from the following companies.
These policy prices are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact vehicle garaging location for retired military. So the auto insurance company that is best for you may not even be in the top 28 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies
Lowering the price of car insurance is important to most people, and one of the quickest ways to save on the cost of insurance for retired military is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below visualizes the comparison of insurance prices with and without full coverage. The premium estimates are based on no claims or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
If averaged for all ages, comp and collision coverage costs $2,305 per year over having just liability coverage. That is a big expense that brings up the question if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no specific rule of when to stop paying for full coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $10,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would receive is $9,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying more than $900 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
Insuring your vehicle with the highest-rated insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Arizona. The company rank data shown next can help you analyze which companies to look at comparing rate quotes with. The rankings below include companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies with more of a regional focus will not be included in these rankings.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Companies in Scottsdale Ranked by Claims Service
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- Liberty Mutual
- Progressive
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
The importance of shopping around
Scottsdale, AZ car insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of having a policy. Improving your credit score, getting married, or getting a speeding ticket can trigger price changes that can now make some companies cheaper in comparison to the competition.
Also, car insurance companies change premium rates as needed to reflect underwriting profits or losses. Unexpectedly high claims can cause price increases, while profitable underwriting can cause cheaper Scottsdale car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Scottsdale, AZ for a 35-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and great credit. If we compare prices based on her current risk profile, The Hartford offers the lowest car insurance rates in Scottsdale at $1,042 per year. This is $386 less than the average rate paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Safeco, Auto-Owners, USAA, and Travelers are the remaining cheapest Scottsdale, AZ auto insurance companies.
Now we will give the driver from the above example an at-fault accident, a lower credit score, and a traffic ticket or two. Since every insurance provider has a different process for determining rates, comparing rates may result in a slightly different list of companies as shown below.
GEICO now has the best auto insurance rate in Scottsdale with Ameriprise Group, CSAA, Allied, and Safeco now being in the top five. This example proves why drivers need to compare as many rates as possible when trying to get the cheapest car insurance rates for retired military. Car insurance prices can be determined by many things and change substantially, so the cheapest company the last time you shopped around may now be quite expensive.