No one likes paying for auto insurance, particularly when the price is too high.
Many car insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company to find the lowest price
It’s a great practice to take a look at other company’s rates on a regular basis because rates go up and down regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price two years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. So just block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the quickest way to lower your annual insurance bill.
How to Get Paducah Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes
There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices but one way is less time-consuming than others. You can spend your afternoon talking to insurance agencies in Paducah, or you could save time and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Many popular insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to send in one quote, and each company can give them a price based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for form submissions for every auto insurance company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to open in new window.
The single downside to comparing rates this way is you don’t know exactly which providers to receive prices from. If you prefer to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a page of auto insurance companies in Kentucky. View list of Kentucky insurance companies.
However you get your quotes, double check that you are using identical coverage limits with each company. If you have different liability limits it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Paducah. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. Keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices helps you find the best offered rates.
Why you might pay higher rates in Paducah
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.
- Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
- More performance means more cost – The type of car you own makes a significant difference in your rates. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- More people means more accidents – Being located in less populated areas is a positive aspect when talking about auto insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents. Drivers who live in large Kentucky cities have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
- Little extras can really add up – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
- Liability insurance protects assets – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. It provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Teen drivers pay high rates – Teenage drivers in Kentucky have a tendency to be less responsible when behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
- Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
- How’s your driving record? – A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost by twenty percent. If you have severe violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Save big with these discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings.
- One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
- Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.
To see a list of providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Kentucky, click here.
But I don’t know anything about car insurance
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions could help you determine if your situation might need professional guidance.
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Kentucky?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
- How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
You just read quite a bit of information on how to shop for auto insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.
As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More Kentucky auto insurance resources
Additional auto insurance information is located on the website for the Kentucky Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Kentucky drivers can get help finding coverage, learn about insurance regulations, and find out industry alerts.