8 Simple Tips to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Independence Missouri

Confused by the sheer number of car insurance options in Independence? Lot’s of other consumers are too. Consumers have so many options available that it can be a real hassle to find the perfect company for you.

It’s a good habit to price shop coverage quite often since insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the easiest way to buy cheaper car insurance.

If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay and possibly find even better coverage. The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with how to effectively get price quotes. Missouri consumers just need to understand the most efficient way to shop their coverage around on the web.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

• Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
• Memberships – Belonging to a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your policy.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
• Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
• Own a Home – Owning a home in Independence may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
• 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get better car insurance rates.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

For a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Missouri, follow this link.

Which Car Insurance is Cheapest in Independence, Missouri?

Cutting your Independence car insurance rates can be quick and easy. The only requirement is to take the time to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

• One of the simplest ways to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating a different quote for every car insurance company. Just one form will get you rate comparisons from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.
• Another way to find lower rates consists of visiting each company website and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from GEICO, Allstate and Progressive. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

  For a handy list of car insurance company links in Independence, click here.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using apples-to-apples information with each company. If your comparisons have different values for each quote it will be impossible to determine the best price in Independence.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Consumers in Missouri can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Drivers who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can claim big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Auto insurance coverage information

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims like backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and rolling your car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Medical expense insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills for prosthetic devices, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses and hospital visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since many Missouri drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (Missouri limits are 25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a bird, theft and a broken windshield. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Liability car insurance

This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability insurance covers claims like legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses, medical expenses and court costs. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Missouri state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

One last thing about your coverage

Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests and policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

The cheapest car insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Independence insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

More Missouri car insurance resources

More detailed Missouri car insurance information is located at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and find disaster information.