Salina Car Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Searching for the cheapest Salina car insurance online may be rather challenging for beginners to price shopping online. Because there are so many online companies, how can anyone even start to compare them all to find the best pricing?

It’s a great practice to do rate comparisons once or twice a year since rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the lowest rates six months ago you may be paying too much now. So just forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the quickest ways to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

The purpose of this article is to let you in on how to effectively get price quotes and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. But Kansas consumers can benefit from knowing the methods companies use to sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Salina, Kansas

The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes from different in Salina, Kansasinsurance companies. The best way to find the lowest rates is to perform an online rate comparison. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

The easiest and least time consuming way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes from all major companies. Just one form and you’re done.

A more time consuming way to get quotes online is going to each company’s website to request a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Progressive, Safeco and Travelers. To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Salina, click here.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you’re using exactly the same coverages for each comparison quote. If the quotes have differing limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Salina. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. And when comparison shopping, quoting more will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.

Save money by taking advantage of these discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit.

• Good Student – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
• Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
• Early Signing – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Kansas, click here to view.

Components of your insurance rates

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine premiums.

• Higher deductibles cost less – Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
• Lower rates come with age – Teen drivers in Kansas are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. Parents adding a teen driver to your policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
• Bad driving skills means higher rates – Only having one citation can increase rates forty percent or more. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
• A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Not having insurance is illegal and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance expire. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage might get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Kansas department of motor vehicles.
• How many coverages with the same company – Many car insurance companies provide better rates to policyholders who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
• Drive a safer car and pay less – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
• Protect yourself with liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you if a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Rural vs Urban Areas – Residing in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when talking about car insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

For instance, these questions can help discover whether you might need professional guidance.

• Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
• Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
• How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
• Am I getting all the discounts available?
• Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.

Additional car insurance information can be read on the Kansas Insurance Department website found here. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, find a variety of consumer forms, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

More related Salina car insurance information:

• Salinas California Auto Insurance Agents – There is a Difference

Shop smart and save

As you shop your coverage around, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

We just showed you a lot of techniques to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from the least-expected company.

Insureds switch companies for a variety of reasons including high prices, not issuing a premium refund, denial of a claim and unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company can be less work than you think.