Lower Online Odessa Car Insurance Prices With These Tips

Consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online will discover buying affordable Odessa car insurance quite challenging.

It's important to get comparison quotes periodically because rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price two years ago a different company probably has better rates today. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance online, so we're going to give you some great ways to find cheap car insurance.

Finding affordable coverage in Odessa is not that difficult. In a nutshell, everyone who carries car insurance should be able to save money. Although Missouri car owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every available discount very well, so we researched some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

Anti-lock Brakes - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.
55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
Seat Belt Usage - Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Accident Forgiveness - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a set time period.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Clean credit earns discounts - Your credit score is a huge factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower ratings. If your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating.
How's your driving record? - Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even a single moving violation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who get dangerous violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few additional coverages you can purchase on your policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and membership fees are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Occupations like judges, social workers and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates in part from high stress levels and long work days. On the other hand, occupations like scientists, students and retirees pay the least.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Every insured's situation is different.

For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?

If you can't answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Is there truth in advertising?

Companies like Allstate and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a preferred risk could be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully state the savings. That is why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional Missouri consumer information

Even more information is located at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, file complaints about a company, and discover disciplinary actions.

Also read more on NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of Odessa insurance agents.

Final considerations

When buying insurance coverage, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

We just showed you a lot of techniques to reduce car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.

The cheapest car insurance is attainable from both online companies in addition to many Odessa insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.