Proven Ways to Save on Madison Car Insurance

Expensive car insurance can dwindle your bank account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

You have so many to pick from, and although it's a good thing to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to shop coverage around on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best rates a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Don't believe everything you read about car insurance on the internet, so we're going to give you some great ways to slash your car insurance rates.

Which Car Insurance is Cheapest in Madison, Kansas?

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from local Madison car insurance companies. The recommended way to compare insurance prices consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way to find low rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every car insurance company. One form submission gets you coverage quotes instantly.

A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online consists of going to each company website to complete a price quote. For instance, let's say you want comparison quotes from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Madison, click here.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you are comparing identical coverages for every company. If you are comparing different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Madison. Quoting even small variations in coverages may result in large price differences. Just remember that comparing more company's prices helps you find lower pricing.

Kansas car insurance

Tips to Get Lower Madison Rates

It's important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the items used by your company to calculate your rates.

  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers who don't get tickets receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • High deductibles save money - Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • An active claims history can cost you - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in Kansas award lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Big city or small town - Residing in a rural area has it's advantages when talking about car insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
  • Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving.
  • Better crash test results mean better rates - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safer cars protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance companies do not list every available discount very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

  • Good Student Discount - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
  • Own a Home - Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Government Employees - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
  • Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Senior Citizens - Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
  • Lower Rates for Military - Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates it's possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

For a list of providers with the best car insurance discounts in Kansas, click here to view.

Even more information can be read at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, download brochures, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other useful links include NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of insurance agents in Madison Kansas.

Shop smart and save

We just presented many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .

Cheap car insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Madison, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies don't offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.