Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to lower your monthly bill.
Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads and it is difficult to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
It’s a great practice to get comparison quotes once or twice a year because prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the lowest price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out one of the easiest ways to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.
Lower rates by qualifying for discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden car insurance savings.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may qualify for reduced rates.
- New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on car insurance.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a driver safety course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Finding Car Insurance in Leawood, KS
Comparing car insurance rates can take hours if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a lot of time driving to local insurance agents in Leawood, or you can utilize online quotes to maximize your effort.
Many insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company returns a competitive quote based on that data. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to pricing coverage this way is you don’t know exactly which insurance companies you want pricing from. If you would rather choose individual companies to compare, we have a listing of low cost car insurance companies in Kansas. View list of Kansas insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but compare identical deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you enter different values for each quote it’s not possible to find the best deal in Leawood. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding lower pricing.
Factors that affect insurance rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Men are more aggressive – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar numbers, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
- A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a fast way to increase your car insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with the Kansas motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Lower rates come with age – Young drivers in Kansas tend to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Do I need special coverages?
When buying the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Neighborhood agents for car insurance
Certain consumers prefer to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates but also keep your business local.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Leawood who will battle for your insurance coverage. You never need to drive around since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Selecting an provider requires more thought than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
Types of insurance agents
When looking for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Agencies in Leawood are either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. These agents are trained well on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.
Below are Leawood captive insurance agents who may provide you with comparison quotes.
American Family Insurance – 11201 Nall Ave # 140 – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 451-1717
State Farm Insurance – 12108 State Line Rd – Leawood, KS 66209 – (913) 339-6600
Farmers Insurance Group – 4707 College Blvd # 208 – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 647-0090
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.
Below are independent insurance agencies in Leawood who can help you get rate quotes.
Dean Ordiway Agency Inc – 7007 College Blvd – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 663-2121
Joe Thelen Agency Inc – 7007 College Blvd – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 469-6381
Disability Insurance Svc – 4707 College Blvd # 214 – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 469-1182
Trustmark Insurance Co – 7007 College Blvd # 400 – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 906-9500
Cline Wood Agency Inc – 11250 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy – Leawood, KS 66211 – (913) 451-3900
For a full directory of car insurance agents in Leawood, go to this page.
Once you have received acceptable answers in addition to an acceptable price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Car insurance providers like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing that you’ll save big if you change your policy. But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
All companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who do not match this ideal profile must pay a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can state the savings. This illustrates why it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.
A tidy conclusion
You just read a lot of tips how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
Lower-priced car insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Leawood, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
Additional resources for Kansas consumers
Even more information is located at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Kansas consumers can learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, and learn about insurance regulations.