Is Your Wentzville Missouri Car Insurance Costing Too Much?

Overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a price comparison is free and is an excellent way to lower your monthly bill. Many auto insurance companies vie for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurance companies and get the best coverage at the lowest cost out there.

Free Wentzville Car Insurance Quotes

Lowering your car insurance rates can be relatively painless. You just need to take the time getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.

1. The easiest and least time consuming way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for boring form submissions to each individual car insurance company. One quote request gets you coverage quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
2. A more time consuming way to find lower rates requires a trip to each company’s website and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, GEICO and Travelers. You would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.

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

Which method you use is up to you, but compare identical information on every quote you get. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Wentzville.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don’t always list every available discount very well, so the following is a list of some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Good Student Discount – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Save over 55 – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Claim Free – Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared to bad drivers.
• Accident Forgiveness – A few companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.

Components of your insurance rates

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 controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

• Theft deterrents lower rates – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping auto theft.
• Your stress level may be raising your rates – Occupations like judges, architects and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates because of job stress and long work hours. On the other hand, occupations like actors, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
• Older drivers pay less – More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
• Always keep insurance in force – Letting your insurance expire is a fast way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a license revocation or jail time.You may then be required to file a SR-22 with the Missouri motor vehicle department.
• More people means more accidents – Living in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers have much more traffic to deal with and a longer drive to work. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
• Your credit rating is important – A driver’s credit history is a big factor in your rate calculation. If your credit history is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with lower credit scores.
• Policy add-ons can waste money – There are a lot of additional coverages that you can buy on your policy. Things like roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
• Performance level impacts rates – The performance level of the car you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your rates. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

When might I need an agent?

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions might help in determining if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.

• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Missouri?
• Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
• What are the financial responsibility laws in Missouri?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• Am I covered when driving a rental car?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Missouri?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.

More detailed Missouri car insurance information is located at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read industry bulletins.

Other informative sites include QuoteClickInsure.com and CarInsuranceDIY.com.

Save $406 a year. For real?

Missouri consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you move your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and has a high credit rating. A driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards must pay a more expensive rate which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More quotes mean more savings

Affordable car insurance can be bought on the web and also from your neighborhood Wentzville agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a small mutual company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

As you shop your coverage around, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.