Finding the best price on Florissant auto insurance may seem to be difficult if you’ve never compared online rate quotes. But don’t let that discourage you because there is an easy way to compare rates.
You should make it a habit to take a look at other company’s rates periodically because prices are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the lowest price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.
How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost in Florissant, Missouri
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can take time and effort if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Florissant, or you could save time and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.
The majority of car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and every company returns a rated price based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests for every auto insurance company.
To get comparison pricing now click here to open in new window.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which carriers to get pricing from. So if you want to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Missouri. Click here to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverages on every quote. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Florissant. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that more quotes helps you find a lower rate.
Don’t miss out on these nine money-saving discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at quote time, but a few must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
- Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers pay less as compared to bad drivers.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
- No Charge for an Accident – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy life insurance.
- Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.
To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Florissant, follow this link.
Local Florissant agents and auto insurance
A small number of people would rather visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important particularly in Florissant.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Florissant who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.
Florissant car insurance agents come in two flavors
When finding a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Florissant can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Agents
These agents are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing rates, you should always include at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.Most can insure with smaller companies which can save you money.
The following are independent agents in Florissant that can give you comparison quotes.
- Marks Agency Inc – 100 Saint Francois St # 106 – Florissant, MO 63031 – (314) 831-7997
- Direct General Ins Agency – 117 Flower Valley Shopping Ctr – Florissant, MO 63033 – (314) 921-1466
- Tammy Love Insurance – 1281 Graham Rd # 303 – Florissant, MO 63031 – (314) 831-0873
- Don Gosen Insurance – 2788 N Us Highway 67 – Florissant, MO 63033 – (314) 837-7900
- Robb Howard Agency – 2416 N Us Highway 67 – Florissant, MO 63033 – (314) 831-7578
Agency Captives
This type of agents have only one company to place business with like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies receive extensive training in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.
Shown below are captive insurance agents in Florissant willing to provide comparison quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 8460 N Lindbergh Blvd # 1 – Florissant, MO 63031 – (314) 839-2626
- Allstate Insurance – 1665 N Us Highway 67 – Florissant, MO 63031 – (314) 837-8300
- Farmers Insurance Group – 12131 Dorsett Rd – Florissant, MO 63031 – (314) 831-4500
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 3343 N Us Highway 67 – Florissant, MO 63033 – (314) 838-5660
- State Farm Insurance – 1 Grandview Plaza Shopping Ctr – Florissant, MO 63033 – (314) 837-5900
To view a complete directory of Florissant captive insurance agents, click here to link.
Picking an insurance agent requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- How are they compensated?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
Upon receiving positive feedback and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles. But keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can terminate coverage any time you want so don’t assume that you are obligated to any particular company with no way to switch.
Auto insurance policy specifics
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Coverage for liability
Liability coverage protects you 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. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 bodily injury coverage, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things such as funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses, bail bonds and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much 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.
Collision insurance
This coverage covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with a tree, driving through your garage door, scraping a guard rail, sideswiping another vehicle and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive auto insurance
This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like hail damage, vandalism and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Coverage for medical expenses
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like surgery, doctor visits, prosthetic devices, chiropractic care and funeral costs. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Additional information can be read on the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Missouri consumers can file complaints about a company, view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
A little work can save a LOT of money
Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions, high prices or even denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company can be less work than you think.
Cheaper auto insurance is attainable on the web and also from your neighborhood Florissant agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, someone dropped collision coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.