Tightwads Tips for Saving on High Ridge Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, there are many people just like you. You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to shop coverage around at least once a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Locating affordable protection in High Ridge can be fairly easy. If you have a current auto insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Missouri consumers only need to know the tricks to get comparison rates over the internet.

Tips to Get Lower High Ridge Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Being married is a good thing - Getting married can get you a discount on auto insurance. It translates into being more responsible and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Add-on coverages can add up - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy if you aren't careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • Where you reside plays a part - Choosing to live in a rural area can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Urban drivers regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
  • Do men or women drive better? - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
  • Optional equipment can affect rates - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart auto theft.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
  • Adjust deductibles and save - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.

How to Compare High Ridge Auto Insurance Costs

Reducing your insurance rates is surprisingly easy. You just have to invest a little time comparing rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.

  1. The fastest way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing separate quotes for every auto insurance company. Completing one form gets rate comparisons instantly.
  2. A less efficient way to get quotes online is spending the time to visit each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we'll pretend you want to compare rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in High Ridge, click here.

However you get your quotes, compare identical information for each comparison quote. If you use higher or lower deductibles it's not possible to determine the lowest rate in High Ridge.

Save big with these discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before being credited. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Sign Online - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Driver Safety - Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Senior Discount - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
  • Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Missouri, click here.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Missouri drivers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How does each company say the same thing?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Consumers who fall outside these standards will have to pay higher prices and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Missouri Department of Insurance located here. Missouri drivers can get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, and learn about insurance regulations.

auto insurance in High Ridge

In the end, you save

The cheapest auto insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents in High Ridge, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.