Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your personal savings and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Comparing price quotes is a great way to lower your monthly bill. Big companies like Geico, Progressive and Allstate constantly bombard you with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can use this information to find the best rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding the best rates in Parsons is not that difficult. Kansas drivers just need to understand how to shop online.
Finding Car Insurance Deals in Parsons
There are a lot of ways you can shop for car insurance and some are more efficient than others. You could spend the better part of a day talking to local insurance agents in Parsons, or you can utilize the web to get pricing more quickly.
Many insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company can give them a price determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for every car insurance company.
To get comparison pricing now click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose the companies to get pricing from. If you wish to select individual companies to compare, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Kansas. Click here to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be sure to compare identical coverage information on every quote you get. If you use higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Parsons.
Are you falling for claims of savings?
Kansas drivers can’t get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you change your policy.
But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk might be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. A customer who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.
Drivers who do not match these standards will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.
How insurance companies determine rates
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
The list below includes a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.
- Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – Auto insurance companies in Kansas generally give better rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
- More miles equals more premium – The higher the mileage driven every year the higher your rate. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one ticket may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who get severe violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before they will apply. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a driver safety course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Sign Online – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing on their website.
- Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
- Drivers Education – Have your child enroll in driver’s education in high school.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.
To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Kansas, follow this link.
Tailor your coverage to you
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Kansas?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Price shop online but buy from a local Parsons agent
A small number of people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! Agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get better rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local agencies is important particularly in Parsons.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?!
Do you need an independent or captive insurance agency?
When looking for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can influence the type of agent you choose
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Below is a list of independent agencies in Parsons who can help you get comparison quotes.
Labette Insurance – 2323 Main St – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-1950
Clemens Insurance – 115 S 18th St # 207 – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-9999
Captive Agents
Captive agencies write business for a single company like State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.
The following is a short list of captive agencies in Parsons willing to provide rate quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 3021 Main St – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-2170
Farmers Insurance Group – 2217 Main St – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-2334
American Family Insurance – 1816 Main St # B – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-0400
Farm Bureau Insurance – 115 S 18th St # 208 # A – Parsons, KS 67357 – (620) 421-1630
To view a complete directory of Parsons captive agents, simply jump to this page.
Deciding on an insurance agency should depend on more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- How are claims handled?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
Once you have received acceptable answers to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
Compare but don’t skimp
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cost effective car insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Parsons insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
More information about car insurance
Additional information is available on the website for the Kansas Insurance Department through this link. Kansas drivers can file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Additional helpful sites include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this link where you can get more info about Parsons coverage.