Top Ways to Save on South Haven Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Kansas consumers.

Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

It's important to shop coverage around before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the proper way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

Discount for New Cars - Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to bad drivers.
Memberships - Participating in a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn't work that way.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in South Haven, click here to view.

Comparison of Auto Insurance in South Haven

Most companies allow you to get coverage price quotes directly from their websites. This process is fairly simple as you just type in as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the company's rating system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and generates pricing information based on these factors. Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit many different websites and type in the same information is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to perform this step in order to find the best price on auto insurance.

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form that obtains quotes from several companies at one time. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable and efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick your choice of the price quotes you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you duplicate the insurance coverages as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will receive rate quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Tips to Get Lower South Haven Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

The more you drive the more you pay - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies apply a rate based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Jobs such as doctors, business owners and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and long work hours. Other occupations such as farmers, historians and retirees get better rates.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder car theft.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Safer cars can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Pay less if you're married - Being married helps lower the price on your policy. It translates into being more mature and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Bump up deductibles to save - Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more money you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
High credit ratings translate to low rates - Credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than those with poor credit. If your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score.

How can GEICO, State Farm and Progressive save drivers who switch?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How can each company make almost identical claims?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Affordable insurance is out there

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

Affordable auto insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in South Haven, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Additional detailed information is available at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Kansas consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read industry bulletins, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view a list of available companies.