Nobody looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing their premiums are too high.
There is such a variety of insurers to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, it can be more difficult to compare company pricing.
You should make it a habit to compare rates quite often because insurance rates tend to go up over time. Just because you had the best price six months ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to show you the tricks you need to know to find lower rates on auto insurance.
Pay less by taking advantage of these seven discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but a few need to be asked for before being credited.
- Save with a New Car – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can help you save on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Accident Forgiveness – A few companies permit an accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.
How to Compare Auto Insurance in Manchester
Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend the better part of a day talking to agents in Manchester, or you can stay home and use the web to get prices fast.
Many of the larger companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To compare rates using this form now click here to start a free quote.
The only downside to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose the companies you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Missouri. View list of Missouri insurance companies.
Whichever way you use, make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If you compare different liability limits it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best in Manchester. Slightly different coverage limits can make a big difference in price. Just remember that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting better pricing.
How much car insurance do I need?
When choosing coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can help discover if you could use an agent’s help.
- What are the best liability limits?
- Do no-fault laws apply in Missouri?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in Missouri?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Don’t I need to talk to an agent?
Some consumers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting local businesses is important particularly in Manchester.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will battle for your coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent.
The different types of insurance agents
When researching a reliable agent, there are a couple of different types of agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either captive or independent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.
When shopping rates, you should always include at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.
Below is a list of independent agencies in Manchester that can give you rate quotes.
Prudential Insurance Co – 14313 Manchester Rd – Manchester, MO 63011 – (636) 227-4621
Ainsworth Insurance Svc Inc – 1515 Dietrich Glen Dr – Manchester, MO 63021 – (636) 207-1700
Agency Captives
Captive agents work for only one company such as American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. Captive agents are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents.
Listed below are Manchester captive insurance agents who can help you get price quote information.
American Family Insurance – 14328 Manchester Rd – Manchester, MO 63011 – (636) 394-5220
Allstate Insurance – 234 Old Meramec Station Rd # C – Manchester, MO 63021 – (636) 391-3954
Farmers Insurance Group – 960 Kehrs Mill Rd – Manchester, MO 63011 – (636) 386-0153
For a full directory of Manchester captive insurance agents, please click here.
Picking a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Are they full-time agents?
- How are claims handled?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
Upon getting positive feedback for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that can properly insure your vehicles. But keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can cancel a policy at any point so don’t assume that you are obligated to your new company for the entire policy term.
Advertising myths
Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings if you change to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims?
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will have to pay a more expensive rate and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can claim big savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.
Specifics of your auto insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the normal coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Coverage for liability
Liability coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as medical services, structural damage, medical expenses and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Missouri state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like theft, rock chips in glass, hitting a bird, hail damage and damage from getting keyed. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses like pain medications, nursing services, X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices and dental work. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision protection
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers things like colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a building, rolling your car and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Missouri limits are 25/50/10), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Summing up your auto insurance search
You just learned a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Progressive or Geico.
Affordable auto insurance is definitely available both online and with local Manchester insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
Online resources for education
More information can be found on the website for the Missouri Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Missouri consumers can view a list of available companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read consumer alerts.
The articles below may also help you learn more about auto insurance in Manchester