Things You Must Know Before Buying Ocean Springs Mississippi Car Insurance Online

Nobody likes paying for car insurance, especially knowing the cost is way too high.

With consumers having so many companies and agents to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to pick the right insurance company.

You should take the time to check car insurance prices before your policy renews because rates trend upward over time. Just because you found the best rates two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the quickest way to find great coverage at a great price.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Ocean Springs is not that difficult. Just about every driver who carries car insurance should be able to save money. But Mississippi drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the methods companies use to sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Ocean Springs

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

• Men are more aggressive – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. They both are in accidents in similar numbers, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
• Claim-free discounts can add up – Companies in Mississippi give better rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
• Performance makes a difference – The make and model of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. The most favorable rates are for small economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all hinder car theft.
• Clean credit earns discounts – Having a bad credit rating is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores. So if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating.
• Please use or commuting – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.

How to Compare Ocean Springs Car Insurance Costs

All major car insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate allow you to get pricing on their websites. Getting quotes is pretty easy as you simply enter your coverage information into a form. Behind the scenes, their system obtains your credit score and driving record and provides a quote. Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit each company’s website and repetitively enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes if you want to find the lowest price.

The better way to compare rates

The quickest way to find cheaper rates uses one form that gets prices from several different companies. This type of form saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online price comparison a little more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes less than 15 minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To use this form to compare rates, click here and complete the simple form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you type in your coverages identical to your current policy. This helps ensure you’re receiving rate quotes based on identical coverages.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Companies do not advertise all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the best known and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance.

• Paperless Signup – Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• 55 and Retired – Older drivers may qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.

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

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

A small number of people would rather get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your business. You never need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.

Choosing a company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• What insurance companies do they work with?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
• Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?

What type of Ocean Springs auto insurance agent is right for you?

If you’re trying to find a good Ocean Springs insurance agent, there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Ocean Springs can either be independent or captive.

Captive Agents

These agents are contracted to one company like Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. They are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Listed below are captive agencies in Ocean Springs that are able to give price quote information.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 5801 Humphrey Rd – Ocean Springs, MS 39565 – (228) 826-4880
State Farm Insurance – 2746 Bienville Blvd – Ocean Springs, MS 39564 – (228) 875-3336

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from at least one independent agent for the best price selection.

Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Ocean Springs willing to provide comparison quotes.

Foley Agency Insurance and Invst – 2220 Government St – Ocean Springs, MS 39564 – (228) 875-8968
Insurance Associates Of Ms – 2112 Bienville Blvd # L2 – Ocean Springs, MS 39564 – (228) 875-1833
Foley Agency Insurance and Invst – 2220 Government St – Ocean Springs, MS 39564 – (228) 875-8968

To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Ocean Springs, visit this site.

Upon getting acceptable answers to these questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that is a good match to provide car insurance coverage.

How much car insurance do I need?

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether or not you might need professional guidance.

• Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
• Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Mississippi?
• What discounts do I qualify for?
• Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• At what point should I drop full coverage?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

More detailed Mississippi car insurance information is available at the Mississippi Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Other informative sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this link where you can make Ocean Springs car insurance comparisons.

In the end, you save

When shopping online for car insurance, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped collision coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.

Cheaper car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Ocean Springs insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

In this article, we presented many ideas to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.