If you’ve never shopped for auto insurance online, you may be overwhelmed by the vast number of online companies competing for business in Tulsa.
Tips to Get Lower Tulsa Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to cheap car insurance in Tulsa.
- What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance level of the vehicle you own makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. Economy passenger models receive the most favorable rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Even a single moving violation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Small claims can cost you – Insurance companies in Oklahoma award discounts to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can expect higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Some auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
- Rates may be lower depending on your job – Occupations such as lawyers, business owners and financial analysts have higher average rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, jobs such as scientists, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
- Your location is important – Residing in a rural area has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. City drivers regularly have congested traffic and longer commute times. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a sure-fire way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Driver’s Ed – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Early Switch Discount – Select companies give a discount for switching policies before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Resident Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
- No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.
Shop online but buy locally
Certain consumers would rather get advice from a local agent and that is OK! Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local businesses is definitely important in Tulsa.
To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to companies in Tulsa who will battle for your coverage. There is no need to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!
Not all car insurance agents are the same
When researching an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Tulsa are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). While both can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning how they are different since it can impact the selection process.
Independent Agents
These agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with smaller companies who may have lower rates.
Listed below are Tulsa independent insurance agencies that may be able to provide rate quotes.
- D’Arcangelo Insurance Agency – 4502 E 51st St – Tulsa, OK 74135 – (918) 627-3684
- Premier Agency – 8008 S Sheridan Rd – Tulsa, OK 74133 – (918) 491-9087
- Phillips Agency – 10623 E Admiral Pl – Tulsa, OK 74116 – (918) 437-7800
- Daemi Insurance Co – 10208 E 41st St – Tulsa, OK 74146 – (918) 663-9500
- Physicians Mutual Insurance Co – 10830 E 45th St # 208 – Tulsa, OK 74146 – (918) 627-5227
Captive Agents
Captive agents write business for a single company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captive agents are trained well in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Consumers frequently purchase coverage from captives mainly due to the prominence of the brand and strong financial ratings.
The following are captive insurance agencies in Tulsa that are able to give price quotes.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1552 E 15th St – Tulsa, OK 74120 – (918) 599-0825
- Shelter Insurance – 6953 E 71st St – Tulsa, OK 74133 – (918) 492-1196
- Liberty Mutual Insurance – 8102 S Lewis Ave # A – Tulsa, OK 74137 – (918) 299-7593
- State Farm Insurance – 8181 S Harvard Ave – Tulsa, OK 74137 – (918) 481-1411
- Allstate Insurance – 8118 S Harvard Ave – Tulsa, OK 74137 – (918) 493-1488
For a complete listing of captive insurance agencies in Tulsa, please click here.
Picking an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. These are valid questions to ask:
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Upon getting good answers to any questions you have and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an insurance agency that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.
Auto insurance myths debunked
Oklahoma consumers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Geico, State Farm and Progressive. They all make an identical promise of big savings after switching your coverage to them.
How can each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
All companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a profitable customer could be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Potential customers who don’t qualify for these standards will be quoted a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save money. This is how insurance companies can make those claims.
This emphasizes why you should quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which company will give you the biggest savings.
Additional Oklahoma consumer information
Additional information is located on the Oklahoma Insurance Department website. Click here for link. Oklahoma consumers can learn about specific coverages, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.
Other useful links include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this link where you can make Tulsa auto insurance comparisons.
More comparisons equals lower rates
You just learned a lot of ways to get a better price on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the most savings is with the least-expected company.
Affordable auto insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Tulsa insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.