Jamestown Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Finding lower rates for Jamestown auto insurance is hard for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. People have so many choices that it can be a lot of work to locate the lowest price in Jamestown.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces that factor into prices.

  • Always keep insurance in force - Not having insurance is against the law and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Missouri motor vehicle department.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like judges, social workers and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates due to high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Bump up deductibles to save - The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, or theft. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Missouri tend to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Clean credit earns discounts - Having a bad credit rating is a big factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit score can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • Cautious drivers pay less - A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers with clean records get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single moving violation may increase your cost by twenty percent. If you have severe violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving 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 drive a vehicle legally.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
  • Liability coverage protects you - The liability section of your policy will protect you when you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

How to Compare Jamestown Auto Insurance Rates

There are multiple methods you can shop for auto insurance and some are easier and takes less work. You can spend your afternoon discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Jamestown, or you could use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Most of the larger companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and each company returns a competitive quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company.

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

One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is you can't choose which providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare prices, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Missouri. View list of Missouri insurance companies.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you're using identical coverages for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one you can't possibly determine the best price in Jamestown.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Seat Belt Usage - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Homeowners Pay Less - Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
  • Distant Student - Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Anti-lock Brakes - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don't apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Missouri, click here.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Consumers in Missouri can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim about savings if you move your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" receives the best rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't measure up to these standards will be quoted higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings.

This emphasizes why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Additional information is located on the Missouri Department of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and report car insurance fraud.

A tidy conclusion

Drivers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is easier than you think.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Cheap auto insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many Jamestown insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.