How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Auto Insurance in Ash Grove

No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, in particular when they are paying too much.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into prices.

Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Performance level impacts rates - The type of car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. Small economy passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Clean credit earns discounts - Having a bad credit score is a important factor in determining your rates. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit.
Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Careers like judges, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates because of high stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as scientists, historians and homemakers pay the least.

Auto Insurance Comparison Rates in Ash Grove, MO

All major auto insurance companies allow you to get insurance quotes online. Getting online rates doesn't take much effort as you simply type in your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and generates pricing information. Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates 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 compare rates uses one simple form that gets prices 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 and you can choose your choice of the resulting price quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The entire process can be completed in a matter of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To save time and find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you replicate exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will receive a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list every discount in a way that's easy to find, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

Military Discounts - Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
Passive Restraint Discount - Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
Homeowners Savings - Simply owning a home can help you save on auto insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.

It's important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you're out of luck.

To choose insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Ash Grove, click here to view.

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

Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all make an identical promise that you can save if you switch your policy. How can each company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver 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 be quoted more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent's assistance.

Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?

If you're not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Additional detailed information is located at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Missouri consumers can find disaster information, learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

Final considerations

In this article, we presented many tips how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a small local company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .

Lower-priced auto insurance is available online in addition to many Ash Grove insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.