Are you a victim of high-priced auto insurance? Believe me when I say you’re not alone. Numerous insurance companies battle to insure your vehicles, so it’s not easy to compare every provider to find the absolute lowest price
It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes periodically since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal a few years ago a different company probably has better rates today. So just block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the only way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
Tips to Get Lower Kansas City Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.
The following are some of the factors companies use to determine your rates.
- An active claims history can cost you – Companies in Kansas generally give cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
- How’s your driving record? – Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even a single moving violation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers who get dangerous violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there could be available discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Most are applied when you quote, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings. If you don’t get every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Organization Discounts – Belonging to certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education in school.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. But any discount will reduce your premiums.
To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Kansas City, click this link.
Do I just need basic coverages?
When it comes to buying coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in Kansas?
If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.
For more reading
More information can be found on the website for the Kansas Insurance Department found here. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, and view agent and company licensing information.
In the end, you save
You just read many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the least-expected company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.
Budget-conscious auto insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Kansas City insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.