People not familiar with shopping for insurance online might discover shopping for affordable Shawnee auto insurance is harder than they anticipated.
Finding the best rates in Shawnee is not that difficult. If you have a current auto insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find better prices and still get good coverage. Oklahoma vehicle owners just need to know the proper way to compare price quotes on the web.
Discounts are basically free money
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Shawnee can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
- Memberships – Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Oklahoma, click this link.
Why some people pay less for insurance in Shawnee
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
- Little extras can really add up – There are a lot of extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Older drivers save more – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
- Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Only having one citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers who get serious violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Slick advertising tricks that work
Oklahoma drivers constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.
How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.
Consumers who are not a match for the requirements must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.
For more Oklahoma car insurance information
Additional detailed information can be read at the Oklahoma Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, read industry bulletins, and download brochures.
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Final considerations
The cheapest auto insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents in Shawnee, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
When shopping online for auto insurance, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as denial of a claim, poor customer service, being labeled a high risk driver or even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason, switching auto insurance companies can be less work than you think.