How to Compare Scottsdale Nissan Sentra Insurance

It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get discount auto insurance rates is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from providers who sell insurance in Scottsdale.

1. Try to comprehend car insurance and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that are responsible for high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and a negative credit score can be eliminated by being financially responsible and driving safely. This article gives information to get low prices and find possible discounts that are available.
2. Compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for many different companies.
3. Compare the quotes to your current policy premium to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
4. Provide adequate notice to your current company of your intention to cancel your existing policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new insurance company. Immediately place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.

The critical component of shopping around is to use identical coverage information on every quote and and to analyze as many carriers as you can. Doing this provides a fair price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.

It’s safe to assume that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look at other companies. Consumers who shop around once a year are very likely to buy a different policy because there is a high probability of finding a cheaper policy. A survey found that consumers who make a habit of shopping around saved approximately $865 annually as compared to drivers who never compared other company’s rates.

If saving money on auto insurance in Scottsdale is your ultimate target, then having a good understanding the best way to compare insurance premiums can save time and make the process easier.

Save money by taking advantage of discounts

Not many people think insurance is cheap, but there could be significant discounts that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will be applied when you purchase, but a few need to be asked about prior to getting the savings.

• Life Insurance – Some auto insurance companies give better auto insurance rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.
• Telematics Discount – Insureds who allow driving data collection to monitor driving habits by installing a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system may see discounts if they exhibit good driving behavior.
• Save over 55 – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens can possibly qualify for better auto insurance rates.
• Theft Deterrent System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles help deter theft and will save you 10% or more on Sentra insurance in Scottsdale.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save a little on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• ABS Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control prevent accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
• Smart Student Discounts – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.

One last thing about discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.

The example below visualizes the comparison of Nissan Sentra auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premiums are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, Arizona state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, safe-driver, multi-car, multi-policy, marriage, and claim-free discounts applied.

A partial list of companies that possibly offer most of the discounts above possibly include:

• Progressive
• SAFECO
• American Family
• MetLife
• GEICO
• The Hartford

Check with every prospective company which discounts they offer. Discounts may not apply in Scottsdale. To view insurance companies who offer free Nissan Sentra insurance quotes in Scottsdale, click this link.

When comparison shopping, there are several ways to obtain and compare prices from lots of Arizona auto insurance companies. By far the easiest way to find the cheapest insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes.

Comparing rates online is fast and free, and it takes the place of having to go to and from local Scottsdale insurance agencies. Quoting Nissan Sentra insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you prefer the guidance of a licensed agent. However, consumers can price shop online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

When price shopping your coverage, quoting more increases your odds of finding better pricing.

The following companies are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Scottsdale, AZ. If you want to find cheaper car insurance in AZ, we suggest you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.

Rates and statistics

The rate information below covers a range of coverage costs for Nissan Sentra models. Understanding more about how auto insurance premiums are formulated can be of help when making decisions on the best policy to buy.

Table data represents single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific Scottsdale garaging location which can impact insurance rates considerably.

An analysis of deductible level

When buying insurance, a common question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The data tables below show the differences in premium rates when you select higher and lower coverage deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 deductible and the second rate table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in zip code location which can raise or lower prices significantly.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible costs about $23 more each month or $276 each year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 33 months between claims, you would save more money by selecting a higher deductible.

Why You Might Pay Lower Rates in Scottsdale

Many factors are used in the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less obvious such as your marital status or your financial responsibility. It’s important that you understand some of the elements that aid in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get cheaper rates.

Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors used by your company to calculate your prices.

• Is insurance coverage cheaper for females or males? – Statistics demonstrate that females take fewer risks when driving. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Both genders have at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have accidents that have higher claims. Men also tend to receive more major tickets like driving under the influence (DUI).

  The chart below shows the comparison of Nissan Sentra auto insurance rates for male and female drivers. Data assumes no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

• Don’t get traffic citations – Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to bad drivers. Having just one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

  The example below illustrates how speeding tickets and accident claims impact Nissan Sentra insurance costs for different age groups. The premiums are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

• Save money with higher physical damage deductibles – Protection for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your Nissan. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The larger the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Do you have a stressful occupation? – Occupational choices like military generals, business owners, and stock brokers generally pay the highest rates attributed to high stress levels and incredibly demanding work hours. Other careers such as professors, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.

• Nissan Sentra insurance loss probability – Companies take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle when setting premium costs. Models that tend to have increased losses will cost more for specific coverages. The information below illustrates the historical insurance loss data for Nissan Sentra vehicles.

  For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Percentages below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values over 100 point to more claims or an increased chance of a larger loss.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Nissan Sentra Vehicles

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Nissan Sentra	120	107	81	158	179	141

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Local Scottsdale insurance agencies

A small number of people still prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases The biggest benefit of getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain better rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance data is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who want to provide quotes for your insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates and work with a local agent. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance provider, you can always jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.

Finding a good insurer should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. These are valid questions to ask:

• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Arizona?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?

Exclusive or Independent: There is a difference

If you prefer to buy insurance from a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Scottsdale are categorized either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.

Exclusive Insurance Agents

These type of agents can only place business with one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. They usually cannot provide other company’s prices so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are highly trained in insurance sales which aids in selling service over price.

Below are exclusive agencies in Scottsdale who can help you get rate quotes.

View more Scottsdale agents

Independent Insurance Agents

Agents in the independent channel are not employed by any specific company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, your policy is moved internally and you can keep the same agent. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you get rate quotes from at a minimum one independent agency so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.

Shown below is a short list of independent agents in Scottsdale who can help you get rate quotes.

View more Scottsdale agents

After getting good responses to any questions you may have and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an auto insurance agent that can be relied on to insure your vehicles.

Car insurance protects more than just your car

Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in Scottsdale, car insurance serves several important purposes.

• Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability protection in order to drive the car. In Arizona these limits are 15/30/10 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you bought your Sentra with a loan, almost all lenders will have a requirement that you have full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may insure your Nissan for a much higher rate and require you to pay the higher premium.
• Car insurance preserves not only your Nissan Sentra but also your financial assets. It also can pay for hospital and medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit in the event you are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Scottsdale is overpaying more than $869 every year so you should quote your policy with other companies once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.

More comparisons equals cheaper rates

Low-cost Nissan Sentra insurance in Scottsdale can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Scottsdale agents, so you need to shop Scottsdale auto insurance with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through local independent agents.

You just read many ways to compare Nissan Sentra insurance rates in Scottsdale. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.

Additional detailed information can be found in these articles:

• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Scottsdale Car Insurance Quotes for College Graduates? (FAQ)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
• Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
• Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)