Free Guide to Paying Less for Blackwater Auto Insurance Online

Have you had enough of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in Missouri. Because there are so many insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to pick the cheapest insurance company.

It's important to price shop coverage once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance companies don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so we break down some of the best known and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If you don't get every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

Senior Discount - Mature drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
One Accident Forgiven - Some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
Passive Restraints - Factory air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
No Claims - Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Missouri, click this link.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Blackwater

There are several ways you can shop for auto insurance but some are easier and takes less work. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance agencies in Blackwater, or you could use the web for quick rates.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each company then gives them pricing based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which carriers to receive prices from. So if you want to select individual companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of companies who write auto insurance in Missouri. Click to view list.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using apples-to-apples quote information for every quote you compare. If you have mixed coverages you can't possibly determine the best price in Blackwater.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Women pay lower rates - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women have accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit history is a big factor in your rate calculation. If your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower credit scores.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as lawyers, executives and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates due to high stress and long work hours. On the other hand, occupations like farmers, students and performers pay the least.
A clean driving record saves money - Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Just one moving violation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
Where you live - Being located in a small town can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means reduced accidents.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Missouri drivers can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save after switching your policy.

But how can every company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, has no tickets, and has great credit. A propective insured who matches those parameters will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't meet this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices which leads to business not being written. The ads say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's why insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

In the end, you save

As you prepare to switch companies, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.

Affordable auto insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Blackwater insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Missouri drivers can learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Blackwater.