Tested Strategies for Cheaper Grandview Car Insurance

No one enjoys paying for car insurance, especially knowing the cost is way too high. Numerous insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company and get the definite lowest rate

Why your price might be higher

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate your rates.

Older drivers pay less – Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage insurance, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be a windshield shattered by a rock, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Poor driving leads to higher costs – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with severe tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
High credit ratings translate to low rates – Credit rating is a important factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by repairing your credit.
Special features that cut premiums – Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are many add-on coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Insurance for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

Cut your car insurance rates with discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help offset the cost. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
Safety Course Discount – Completing a driver safety course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get reduced rates.
No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.

It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.

Price shop online but buy from a local Grandview agent

A small number of people would prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find better rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local insurance agencies is especially important in Grandview.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the quote information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Grandview who will give you bids for your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

Is a captive or independent insurance agent right for you?

When looking for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Grandview are either independent or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it can impact buying decisions.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and that require little work on your part. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent for the best price selection.

Below are Grandview independent insurance agents who may be able to give you comparison quotes. Grandview Missouri insurance prices

James M Spring Insurance – 12912 Grandview Rd – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 763-6885
Jerry L Hock Insurance – 12918 Grandview Rd – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 765-8433
Direct General Ins Agency – 11902 Blue Ridge Ext # B – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 761-9908

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents can only place business with one company like State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They generally cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are well schooled on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Grandview who can help you get rate quotes.

American Family Insurance – 13002 10th St – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 763-9114
Farmers Insurance Group – 12400 Blue Ridge Ext – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 765-8484
State Farm Insurance – 12142 Blue Ridge Ext – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 763-3600
Allstate Insurance – 11902 Blue Ridge Ext # Q – Grandview, MO 64030 – (816) 761-8200

For a complete listing of Grandview captive insurance agents, please view this page.

Deciding on an insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Some important questions to ask are:

Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?

After receiving good answers and an affordable coverage quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that will insure your vehicles.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings from companies such as Allstate and Progressive. They all make the same claim that you can save if you switch your policy.

How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A propective insured who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who do not match these standards will be charged higher premiums and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

That is why it is so important to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional car insurance information is available on the website for the Missouri Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, discover disciplinary actions, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other useful links include these car insurance answers and this list of agents in Grandview, MO.

Do the work, save more money

We just presented many ways to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company. They may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

Affordable car insurance can be bought on the web and also from your neighborhood Grandview agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.