How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Richland

Are you sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other drivers in Missouri. You have multiple to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons before your policy renews because rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best rates a couple years back you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your car insurance rates.

Finding affordable coverage in Richland is quite easy. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Missouri drivers only need an understanding of the most efficient way to compare rates online.

Cheap Richland Car Insurance Comparisons

Getting better car insurance pricing is a fairly straight forward process. Consumers just need to spend a little time to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method keeps you from doing a different quote to each individual car insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes .

Another way to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.

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

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just ensure you're using identical coverages and limits on every quote. If you enter different deductibles it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Richland.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Richland

It's important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.

Listed below are some of the items companies use to determine rates.

Pleasure use saves money - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
High numbers of claims are not good - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Car insurance companies in Missouri provide lower rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have serious citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Are you male or female? - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. They both have accidents at a similar rate, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Your credit rating is important - Credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with poor credit.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Your spouse saves you money - Getting married can actually save you money when buying car insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Protect your assets with liability insurance - Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies offering auto insurance don't always publicize all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings. If you're not getting every credit available, you're just leaving money on the table.

New Car Discount - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
Good Students Pay Less - Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Missouri, follow this link.

More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.

In the end, you save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

We just showed you a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a small local company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .