When shopping for car insurance, choosing the right Kodiak insurance agent is more difficult than just driving to the closest agent’s office. You need a good professional insurance agent, and also the best car insurance prices in Kodiak.
You have so many insurance agents to pick from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to find the best rates.
Online price comparisons from Kodiak agents
Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Once you complete this short form, your insurance data is immediately sent to companies in Kodiak who will compete for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy!
Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
What type of Kodiak car insurance agent is right for you?
When looking for a good insurance agency, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agencies in Kodiak are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Both do a good job, but it’s worth learning the difference between them since it may influence your agent selection.
Agency Captives
These agents are contracted to one company such as State Farm or Allstate. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to choose to use a captive agent primarily because of loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection. Many write coverage with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Kodiak who can help you get price quotes.
- Sweeney Insurance Inc – 508 W Marine Way – Kodiak, AK 99615 – (907) 486-3101
- Edward F Randolph Insurance – 1515 Mill Bay Rd – Kodiak, AK 99615 – (907) 486-6179
To view a full list of insurance agents in Kodiak, view this link.
After getting good answers to these questions and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance.
But what about online car insurance?
Licensed agents are perfect for certain consumers, but you also have the option of buying Alaska car insurance from online companies direct. Even companies like State Farm and Allstate who employ agents also allow consumers to buy direct online, so this should also be taken into consideration and can also potentially find you lower rates.
If you’re concerned about not having someone to ask questions when buying online, that is quite common when buying online the first time. Online companies all have client service departments that you can contact for information.
Will you save money buying auto insurance online? That is a tough question to answer since there may be dozens of rate factors that determine the price you pay. Common sense would say that shopping direct prevents the agent from taking a cut. But truthfully, advertising and marketing take a lot of money and that impacts the rates consumers pay.
More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Alaska Division of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, view agent and company licensing information, view a list of available companies, and read state legal mandates and laws.
The following articles may also be useful.
Online plus local equals savings
Cost effective car insurance is possible both online and with local Kodiak insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
