Pricey car insurance can drain your personal savings and possibly require you to analyze your spending habits. Shopping your coverage around can be a smart way to tighten up your finances.
Since drivers have many options, it can be challenging to choose the cheapest car insurance provider.
The fastest way that we advise to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to know the trick most insurance companies allow for online access to compare their rates. The only thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information including whether you have decent credit, the type of vehicles you drive, what your job is, and how your vehicles are used. Those rating factors is instantly provided to many highly-rated insurers and they provide comparison quotes immediately.
To find lower rates now, click here and complete the form.
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Car insurance is expensive, but there could be available discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but some discounts are required to be asked for prior to getting the savings. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Early Signing – A few car insurance companies offer discounts for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current policy. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a . The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
- Club Memberships – Having an affiliation with a qualifying organization could trigger savings when getting a .
- Driving Data Discount – Drivers who elect to allow companies to look at driving manner remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could see a rate decrease if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Active Military Service – Being deployed in the military could qualify you for better car insurance rates.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are much safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not really a discount, but some insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Full Payment Discount – If you pay your bill all at once as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
As is typical with insurance, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
The best car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are included below.
- State Farm includes discounts for driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, multiple policy, and accident-free.
- Geico may offer discounts for five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, federal employee, defensive driver, multi-policy, and military active duty.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new move discount, new vehicle discount, multi-policy, newly retired, teen driver discount, and good student.
- The Hartford offers discounts including bundle, anti-theft, driver training, good student, air bag, and defensive driver.
- MetLife may include discounts for defensive driver, multi-policy, good student, good driver, and accident-free.
- Progressive has discounts for continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, and good student.
Check with all companies you are considering which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policyholders in your state. If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies that offer some of these discounts in Park Hills, click here to view.
Learn how to lower your car insurance premiums
Many different elements are considered when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but others are more transparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is. Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that aid in calculating your car insurance rates. When consumers understand what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to big savings.
The factors shown below are some of the items used by companies to determine prices.
- Youthful drivers cost more – Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, cause fewer claims and accidents , and are generally more financially stable.Drivers with little experience have been known to get distracted easily when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- A lcar insurance policy lapse is a bad thing – Driving with no insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. Not only will you pay higher rates, being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.
- Married people drive safer – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your policy. It means you’re more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- Theft deterrents save – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help prevent auto theft and help lower rates.
- Prices are impacted by vehicle performance – The performance of the car you are insuring makes a substantial difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest performance passenger models usually are quite affordable to insure, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
Everyone needs different car insurance coverages
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions might help in determining if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
More detailed Missouri car insurance information is available at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Missouri consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and view a list of available companies.
Do you really save 40% when you switch?
Big name companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies advertise the message that you’ll save big if you change to their company. How is it plausible that every one can give you a better price?
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them the most money. For example, this type of risk profile should be over the age of 45, owns a home, and does not commute to work. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will probably get cheap prices and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who do not match these criteria will be quoted higher prices which results in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The wording the ads use say “drivers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save money. That is how insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best premium rates. Different companies use different criteria so you need to do a rate comparison at every renewal. You cannot predict which company will be your best fit.
Cheaper car insurance is a realistic goal
Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced online and from local agencies, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies may not have the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When you , do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.