6 Discounts Owensboro Shoppers Forget when Quoting Car Insurance

Overpriced car insurance can dwindle your checking account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is a smart way to cut your insurance bill. Multiple car insurance companies compete for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company and get the definite lowest rate

You should take the time to check car insurance prices quite often because rates change quite often. If you had the lowest price a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So just forget all the misinformation about car insurance because it’s time to teach you the only way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Owensboro, KY

There are several ways to compare car insurance quotes, but some are easier and takes less work. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Owensboro, or you could save time and use the internet to get the quickest rates.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each company. To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose which companies you will receive quotes from. If you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in Kentucky. Click here for list of insurance companies in Kentucky.

It’s up to you which method you use, but double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If each company quotes different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Owensboro.

Lower rates by qualifying for these six discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you may find discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but some must be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles can earn a substantially lower rate.
• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Defensive Driver – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
• Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Owensboro can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
• Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Owensboro, click this link.

Specifics of your car insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of car insurance aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Auto liability

This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things such as medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford. Kentucky requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since many Kentucky drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Kentucky limits are 25/50/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Normally these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for immediate expenses such as prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses and nursing services. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as falling objects, theft, hitting a deer and a broken windshield. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Auto collision coverage

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against things such as scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter, rolling your car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Additional car insurance information can be read on the website for the Kentucky Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, download brochures, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about specific coverages.

Other informative sites include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this link which helps you find a Owensboro agent.

Final thoughts

Lower-priced car insurance can be bought online as well as from independent agents in Owensboro, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price.