Rock Solid Methods for Finding the Cheapest Gardner Car Insurance

I can’t think of a single person who cherishes buying car insurance, in particular when they are paying too much. Companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm continually hit you with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Consumers need to compare prices at least once a year because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the lowest price two years ago you can probably find a better price now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance on the internet, so we’re going to give you some proven techniques to buy car insurance cheaper.

If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Buying car insurance in Gardner is quite easy. Kansas consumers just need to know the best way to buy car insurance online.

Save Money with These Tips

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get big savings.

The list below includes some of the factors companies use to determine your rates.

• Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Safer cars get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
• Drive less and save money – Driving more miles each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.
• Bundling policies can get discounts – Some insurers will give a discount to policyholders who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find better rates by buying car insurance from a different company.
• Do you know you’re credit rating? – Credit score is a important factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit.
• High performance equals high price – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Economy passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
• Increase deductibles and save – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
• Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
• Do you need those extra coverages? – There are quite a few extra coverages that you can buy on your policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and membership fees are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.

Companies offer discounts so take them!

Companies don’t always publicize every available discount very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Passive Restraints – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20% or more.
• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
• Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
• Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.

It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

Don’t listen to company ads

Consumers in Kansas constantly see and hear ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you move your coverage to them.

But how can every company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as between 25 and 40, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Consumers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will be charged more money which leads to business not being written. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That is how companies can truthfully claim big savings. That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Even more information is located at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Kansas consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Other useful links include this online resource for free quotes in Kansas and this page where you can research Gardner insurance agents.

Compare but don’t skimp

Affordable car insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Gardner agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

We just showed you some good ideas how to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.