Finding good car insurance in Cookeville can be challenging since there are a lot of options and selecting the best Cookeville car insurance agent for your needs is more difficult than just randomly choosing from the yellow pages. You require an excellent agent, but also need decent rates too.
Online insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive all promote huge savings with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to see past the corporate glitz and take the time to shop coverage around.
Your insurance agent down the street
Good agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the coverage information gets sent to companies in Cookeville who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. How cool is that?!
Deciding on an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- How are claims handled?
- Are they full-time agents?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
Captive or Independent: There is a difference
If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Cookeville agents are either captive or independent. Both types can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the difference between them since it may influence buying decisions.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company and examples are American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents.
The following are captive insurance agencies in Cookeville willing to provide rate quotes.
Farmers Insurance Group – 794 S Willow Ave – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 526-8663
Shelter Insurance – 759 S Willow Ave # B – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 528-1966
State Farm Insurance – 235 S Willow Ave – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 528-5587
Allstate Insurance Co – 253 S Willow Ave – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 528-8063
Independent Agents
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part.
When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
Below is a short list of independent agencies in Cookeville that can give you price quote information.
Direct General Ins Agency – 696 S Willow Ave # 5 – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 528-8897
Acceptance Insurance Agency – 555 S Jefferson Ave – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 520-4046
Nyoka Lamie Agency – 794 S Willow Ave # B – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 526-8663
Geico Insurance – – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 526-2998
Matlock-Dodson Insurance Inc – 794 S Willow Ave – Cookeville, TN 38501 – (931) 526-7221
For a complete listing of car insurance agents in Cookeville, click here to link.
Upon receiving positive feedback to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Buying auto insurance direct is an option
Insurance agents are important, but Tennessee consumers also have the option to buy direct over the internet. Certain auto insurance companies who have local Cookeville agents also give you the ability to quote and buy online, and consumers should do that if you are the do-it-yourself type.
If you’re worried about not having someone to ask questions when buying online, this really isn’t an issue. Online insurance companies that allow you to purchase coverage have toll-free phone numbers and other options for getting advice on proper coverages.
Does car insurance cost less online? Many people swear by it, but it’s difficult to answer due to the fact that there are multiple individual factors that impact your final bill. It’s a common assumption that purchasing direct online saves money because there is no commission. But truthfully, advertising and marketing take a lot of money so there may not be significant savings.
Some additional reading
Even more information is available at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, and learn about insurance regulations.
Smart consumers save more
While you’re price shopping online, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cheaper car insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to many Cookeville insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
