Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can drain your checking account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to cut your insurance bill. Many car insurance companies vie for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies to get the best price available.
Consumers need to compare rates at least once a year because prices are variable and change quite frequently. Even if you think you had the lowest price a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in how to use the internet to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be inquired about before you will receive the discount. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
- New Car Discount – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
- Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization may earn a discount on your policy.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break just for signing your application online.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.
For a list of providers with the best car insurance discounts in Oklahoma, follow this link.
How to Compare Claremore Car Insurance Rates
Finding lower Claremore car insurance rates can be quick and easy. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes comparing rates from different insurance companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form will get you price quotes from several companies.
- A more difficult way to obtain and compare quotes online requires visiting each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Progressive, Esurance and State Farm. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Claremore, click here.
- The least efficient way of comparing rate quotes is to spend your day driving to and from local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to compare online quotes but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles for each price quote. If you are comparing different liability limits it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best in Claremore.
Why your price might be higher
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are some of the items that factor into premiums.
- Rates may be lower depending on your job – Careers like real estate brokers, business owners and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates due to stressful work requirements and long work days. Other jobs such as pilots, historians and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
- Traffic violations increase rates – Good drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Just one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have dangerous violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Liability insurance protects assets – Liability coverage provides coverage if ever a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – Driving more miles in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
What happened to insurance agents?
Certain consumers would rather buy from a local agent. Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local businesses is important especially in Claremore.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents who will battle for your business. There is no reason to even leave your home since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier!
The following is a list of insurers in Claremore that may be able to provide price quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 1490 W Blue Starr Dr, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 342-3266
Lola Hendrix Agency – 658 S Lynn Riggs Blvd, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 341-8806
Rogers County Insurance – 621 N Cherokee Ave, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 341-6081
Farmers Insurance Group – 805 W Will Rogers Blvd, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 341-5644
David Merriman Insurance Inc – 610 S Lynn Riggs Blvd, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 342-3266
Allstate Insurance – 925 N Lynn Riggs Blvd, Claremore, OK 74017 – (918) 342-5777
Picking an provider requires more thought than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Who are their largest clients?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Upon getting positive responses in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located an insurer that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Do drivers who switch really save?
Oklahoma consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings if you move your coverage to them.
How does each company make almost identical claims?
Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, has no prior claims, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and therefore will save when switching.
Drivers who do not match the requirements must pay higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can state the savings.
This illustrates why you need to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Best coverage at the best price
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, someone sacrificed collision coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price.
In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.
Low-cost car insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Claremore, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
Additional car insurance information can be read on the website for the Oklahoma Insurance Department through this link. Consumers can download brochures, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and file complaints about a company.