Are you at wits end from not being able to scrape enough together to insure your vehicles every month? You are no different than most other people in Kansas. Insurance companies such as Geico and Progressive increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.
There are multiple methods to compare car insurance prices but there is one way that is less time-consuming than others. You could waste time talking about coverages with agents in Edwardsville, or you could save time and use online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Many companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and every company then gives them pricing. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions for each company.
To compare pricing click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose which companies to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Kansas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Kansas.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just make darn sure you compare the same coverage limits for each quote you get. If you use higher or lower deductibles it will be nearly impossible to make a fair rate comparison in Edwardsville. Just slight variations in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that comparing more quotes helps locate a lower rate than you’re paying now.
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Car insurance can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some of these disounts will be visible at quote time, but once in a while a discount must be manually applied before being credited.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for renewing your policy prior to your current policy expiration. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your auto and home insurance and insure them with the same company you will save up to 20% and get you .
- Good Driver Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accidents.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your car insurance provider.
- Good Grades Discount – A discount for being a good student may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide without getting socked with a rate hike with the catch being you have to be claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Student Driver Training – Have your child take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Completing a class that teaches defensive driving techniques can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
A few popular companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, safe vehicle, multiple policy, passive restraint, and good student.
- Geico may include discounts for defensive driver, anti-theft, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, federal employee, and military active duty.
- Progressive offers discounts for good student, online quote discount, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and online signing.
- 21st Century may have discounts that include driver training, anti-lock brakes, air bags, early bird, theft prevention, and 55 and older.
- American Family may offer discounts for accident-free, bundled insurance, early bird, defensive driver, and TimeAway discount.
- The Hartford offers discounts including good student, driver training, air bag, bundle, anti-theft, and defensive driver.
- AAA has savings for education and occupation, multi-car, multi-policy, anti-theft, and good driver.
If you want , ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be available in Edwardsville. To view providers that offer discounts in Edwardsville, click this link.
Get cheap prices by understanding these factors
Many things are considered when quoting car insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, but others are not as apparent such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.
- Car and home together may be cheaper – Lots of car insurance companies will award better rates to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it’s always a smart idea to check prices from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates. You may still be able to save money by splitting coverages up.
- Drivers with excellent credit save on car insurance – A driver’s credit score is likely to be a major factor in calculating your premium rate. So if your credit history is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your vehicle by taking the time to improve your credit score. Insureds with very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit scores.
- Limits of liability coverage – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Never let your car insurance policy lapse – Driving any period of time without insurance can get you a ticket and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time. You may need to file a SR-22 with the Kansas DMV.
- Where you call home is a factor – Being located in less populated areas has definite advantages when it comes to car insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents in addition to lower liability claims People in densly populated areas regularly have much more traffic and more severe claims. Higher commute times means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Long commutes cost more – Driving a lot of miles every year the higher your rates will be. A lot of companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Autos that have low annual miles cost less to insure compared to those used for work or business. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance coverage states the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
- Theft deterrents save – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you some money. Theft deterrent systems like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft and help lower rates.
One last thing to lower rates
Cheap car insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Edwardsville agents, so you need to with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some car insurance companies may not provide online rate quotes and these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Additional detailed information can be read at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Kansas drivers can learn about insurance regulations, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and find a variety of consumer forms.