Hear from Our Customers
Your rate probably went up this year. Maybe by 15%. Maybe by 30%. And when you called to ask why, you got a scripted answer that didn’t explain anything.
Here’s what happens when you let us compare your options. You see what Progressive insurance is charging versus what GEICO car insurance would cost for the same coverage. You find out if USAA insurance or AAA insurance actually saves you money, or if a regional carrier nobody talks about beats them all. You stop guessing.
Most people in Sun City West who switch save between $400 and $900 a year. Not because we’re magicians—because we’re comparing rates from over 40 auto insurance companies at once, and you’re seeing the real numbers. No sales pitch. Just options, explained clearly, so you can decide what makes sense.
Premier Choice Insurance is a family-owned independent agency based in Mesa. We’ve been helping Arizona drivers compare auto insurance companies since day one, and we’re still here because we do the work most agencies won’t—picking up the phone, explaining your options like you’re a person (not a policy number), and sticking around when something changes.
Sun City West has one of the highest concentrations of senior drivers in Arizona. That matters because age affects your rate more than most people realize, and not every carrier prices it the same way. We know which auto insurance companies in this market treat experience as an asset, and which ones just see a birthday and raise your premium.
You’ll talk to a real person in our Mesa office. Not a call center. Not a chatbot. Someone who knows the difference between cheap car insurance and good car insurance—and why that gap matters more at 70 than it did at 40.
First, we ask about your current coverage and what you’re paying. Not to judge it—to understand what you actually need. If you’re driving a paid-off 2014 Camry 5,000 miles a year, you don’t need the same policy as someone commuting to Scottsdale daily in a leased SUV.
Then we run your profile through our network of over 40 carriers. That includes the names you know—Progressive insurance, GEICO, USAA insurance, AAA insurance, direct auto insurance companies—and plenty you don’t. We’re looking at who’s competitive right now for someone your age, in your zip code, with your driving record.
You get a comparison. Real numbers. Same coverage across the board so you’re comparing apples to apples. We walk through what each option includes, what it costs, and why one might make more sense than another based on your situation. If bundling your home and auto saves you 20%, we show you that too.
When you’re ready to move forward, we handle the switch. That includes canceling your old policy if you want. No awkward phone calls. No overlap charges. You pick the start date, and we take care of the rest.
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Auto insurance in Arizona isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially in Sun City West where the average driver is over 70 and most households own their home and vehicles outright. The coverage that made sense when you were working full-time and financing a car probably doesn’t fit anymore.
Liability coverage is required by law in Arizona, but the state minimums—$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident—won’t come close to covering a serious collision. If you’re retired and own assets, you need higher limits. We typically recommend at least $100,000/$300,000, sometimes more depending on your situation. Umbrella policies add another layer if you want it.
Collision and comprehensive are optional once your car’s paid off, but “optional” doesn’t mean unnecessary. It depends on what your vehicle’s worth and whether you could replace it out of pocket. A 10-year-old sedan worth $4,000? Maybe you skip it. A 2021 truck worth $35,000? You’re probably keeping it. Some carriers like Direct Auto Insurance Company or regional providers offer better rates on older vehicles than the big names do.
Arizona saw a 22% increase in car insurance rates in 2024. That’s not a Sun City West problem—that’s a statewide problem. But not every auto insurance company raised rates the same amount. Some went up 15%. Others went up 35%. That’s why comparing matters, and why checking every couple of years makes sense even if you’re happy with your current carrier.
Discounts stack fast if you know where to look. Bundling home and auto saves 10-25% with most carriers. Low mileage discounts apply if you’re driving under 7,500 miles a year. Some companies offer senior driver courses that cut your rate another 5-10%. We find those and apply them before we even show you the quote.
There’s no universal answer because “cheapest” depends on your age, vehicle, driving record, credit, and how much coverage you’re buying. GEICO car insurance might quote you $1,400 a year while Progressive insurance quotes $2,100 for the same coverage—or vice versa. It flips based on your profile.
What we see consistently in Sun City West is that the company with the lowest rate for a 55-year-old is rarely the cheapest for a 75-year-old. Some carriers penalize age more than others. USAA insurance tends to be competitive for seniors if you’re eligible (military affiliation required), but even then it’s not always the lowest. AAA insurance offers decent rates and discounts for members, but you’re paying a membership fee on top of the premium.
Regional carriers and mid-sized companies often beat the big names for senior drivers because they’re not spending billions on advertising. You’ve never heard of them, but they’re financially stable and they price risk differently. That’s the advantage of working with us as an independent agency—we’re not locked into one company’s pricing model. We show you who’s actually cheapest for you right now, and that changes every year.
Rates typically start climbing around age 65 and increase more noticeably after 70. A 60-year-old male driver in Arizona pays around $2,455 per year for full coverage. By 70, that same driver is paying closer to $2,663. After 75, it can jump another 15-25% depending on the carrier.
Why? Insurance companies view senior drivers as higher risk due to slower reaction times, vision changes, and statistically higher accident rates per mile driven. That’s not a judgment on your driving—it’s actuarial data. But not every auto insurance company weighs age the same way. Some carriers increase rates gradually. Others hit you with a big jump at 70 or 75.
The frustrating part is that many seniors in Sun City West have been claim-free for decades, yet they’re paying more than they did at 50. That’s where shopping matters. If your current carrier is penalizing your age heavily, another one might not. We’ve seen people save $600+ per year just by switching to a company that prices senior drivers more fairly. The coverage didn’t change—just who was underwriting it.
It depends on what your car is worth and whether you could afford to replace it if it’s totaled or stolen. Full coverage includes collision (pays for damage to your car in an accident) and comprehensive (covers theft, vandalism, hail, hitting a deer). Once your loan is paid off, you’re not required to carry either one.
Here’s the math that matters. If your car is worth $5,000 and full coverage costs you an extra $800 a year, you’re paying 16% of the vehicle’s value annually just for those coverages. That’s hard to justify. But if your car is worth $25,000 and full coverage adds $600 a year, that’s 2.4% of its value—probably worth keeping.
The other factor is your financial cushion. If your car gets totaled and you don’t have collision coverage, you’re paying out of pocket for a replacement. If that would strain your budget or force you to dip into retirement savings, keep the coverage. If you could write a check tomorrow and replace the car without stress, dropping it makes sense. Most people in Sun City West fall somewhere in the middle, which is why we walk through the actual numbers with you. There’s no right answer—just the right answer for your situation.
Yes, and it’s one of the most underused discounts available to retirees. Most auto insurance companies offer a low mileage discount if you’re driving under 7,500 or 10,000 miles per year, depending on the carrier. Some offer it as low as 5,000 miles annually. The discount typically ranges from 5% to 15% off your premium.
If you’re retired in Sun City West and you’re not commuting to work anymore, you’re probably driving a lot less than you think. Groceries, doctor appointments, golf, visiting family—it adds up, but not to 12,000+ miles a year like it did when you were working. Track your mileage for a month or check your odometer from last year’s reading. If you’re under the threshold, tell us. It’s free money.
Some companies like Progressive insurance and GEICO also offer usage-based programs where they track your actual mileage through an app or plug-in device. If you’re really not driving much, those programs can save you even more. Direct auto insurance companies sometimes build mileage into their quoting process automatically, but many don’t ask unless you bring it up. That’s why it pays to work with someone who knows which carriers reward low mileage and how to apply it correctly.
Your rate will likely go up, but how much depends on the severity of the accident, who was at fault, your claims history, and which auto insurance company you’re with. A minor fender bender where you’re at fault might increase your premium by 20-30% at renewal. A major accident with injuries or significant property damage could double it.
Arizona is an at-fault state, which means the person who caused the accident is responsible for the damages. If you’re found at fault and you file a claim, that claim stays on your record for three to five years depending on the carrier. Some companies surcharge you for the full five years. Others reduce the surcharge after three. A few carriers offer accident forgiveness, which waives the rate increase for your first at-fault accident if you’ve been claim-free for a certain period.
Here’s what most people don’t realize—how much your rate goes up after an accident varies wildly between companies. One carrier might increase you by $500 a year. Another might add $1,200 for the same accident. That’s why people who’ve had a recent claim often save money by switching carriers, even with the accident on their record. If your current company hit you with a massive surcharge, we can shop it and find out who’s willing to price you more fairly. You’re not stuck with that rate just because you filed a claim.
Yes. $300 a year is $1,500 over five years. That’s real money, and switching takes about 20 minutes of your time. If someone offered you $1,500 to fill out a form and make a phone call, you’d do it. This is the same thing.
The hesitation usually comes from one of two places. Either you’ve been with your current company for years and you feel some loyalty, or you’re worried switching is complicated. The loyalty part is understandable, but insurance companies don’t reward it the way they used to. Most carriers raise rates on long-term customers because they know people won’t shop around. New customers get better rates. It’s backwards, but it’s how the industry works now.
As for the process, it’s not complicated. We handle the paperwork. We coordinate the start date so there’s no coverage gap. If you want us to cancel your old policy, we do that too. You’re not calling your old company and explaining why you’re leaving. You’re just signing a form and saving $300. The biggest mistake people make is assuming their current rate is fine without checking. Arizona rates jumped 22% in 2024. If you haven’t shopped your policy in three years, you’re almost certainly overpaying. Let us run the numbers. If we can’t beat your current rate, you stay put. But if we can save you $300, $500, or $900 a year, that’s worth the 20 minutes.
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