Finding more affordable Bolivar car insurance over the internet may at first seem to be intimidating for people new to buying their car insurance online. With so many agents and companies competing online, how are we expected to have time to compare the different rates to find the lowest rates?
This article will instruct you on how to get online quotes. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. But Missouri car owners can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.
The method we recommend to get policy rate comparisons takes advantage of the fact most insurance companies participate in online systems to give rate comparisons. All consumers are required to do is give them some information such as how much education you have, daily mileage, if it has an alarm system, and whether you have decent credit. That rating information gets transmitted to many highly-rated insurers and you should receive rate quotes instantly to find the best rate.
To get price quotes for your car now, click here and find out if lower rates are available.
Do you qualify for these eight discounts?
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise every discount very clearly, so the list below contains both the well known as well as the least known credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Student Driver Training – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down can qualify you for lower premium rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Sign Early and Save – Some car insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy before your current expiration date. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Military Deployment Discount – Being deployed with a military unit could trigger a small discount.
- Distant Student Discount – Any of your kids living away from home attending college and do not have a car could get you a discount.
- Defensive Driver – Taking time to complete a course teaching defensive driver skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction depending on your company.
- Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get better car insurance rates.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
To choose providers that provide some of the discounts listed above in Missouri, click this link.
Car insurance is available from agents near you
Some people still like to visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you may find cheap car insurance quotes and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is important especially in Bolivar.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information is emailed to companies in Bolivar that can provide for your coverage. You don’t have to find an agent on your own as quotes are delivered directly to you. You can find lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you want to quote rates from a specific company, you just need to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Two types of auto insurance agents
When finding a reputable agency, you should know the different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Car insurance agents in Bolivar can be described as either independent or captive.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to do anything. When comparing car insurance rates, we recommend you contact multiple independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. Most also write with small mutual carriers which could offer lower prices.
Listed below is a short list of independent agencies in Bolivar that can possibly get you rate quotes.
- Bankers Agency Inc – 601 E Buffalo St – Bolivar, MO 65613 – (417) 326-3600
- Barker Progressive Insurance – 213 S Springfield Ave – Bolivar, MO 65613 – (417) 326-3140
- Mid-Missouri Insurance – 2275 S Springfield Ave – Bolivar, MO 65613 – (417) 326-5814
Captive Car Insurance Agents
Agents of this type have only one company to place business with like American Family, State Farm, and Allstate. Captive agencies are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are well trained on what they offer which can be an advantage. Some insured continue to buy insurance from these agents mostly because of the prominence of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Listed below is a list of captive insurance agents in Bolivar that can give you rate quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 350 S Albany Ave – Bolivar, MO 65613 – (417) 326-2454
- State Farm Insurance – 930 S Springfield Ave – Bolivar, MO 65613 – (417) 326-2636
To see available insurance agencies near you, you can view this full listing of Bolivar car insurance providers.
Picking an insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price quote. Here are some questions to ask:
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- How long has their agency been open in Bolivar?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Bolivar?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
Parts of your car insurance policy
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 25/50/10), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for chiropractic care, X-ray expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision insurance
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and rolling your car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverages
This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for things like court costs, medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Missouri state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Comprehensive insurance
This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hail damage and fire damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Additional car insurance information can be found on the Missouri Department of Insurance website through this link. Missouri consumers can view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Additional helpful sites include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and CarInsuranceDIY.com.
Keep this in mind
Cheaper car insurance can be bought on the web and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest prices come from an unexpected company.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.