Tightwads Instructions on Saving on Oklahoma City, OK Auto Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Oklahoma City? You’re not alone. Consumers have so many options that it can quickly become a lot of work to find the best price.

If you have a current auto insurance policy or are just looking to switch companies, you can use this information to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. This article will teach you how to get online quotes and some tips to save money. Oklahoma consumers only need to know the most effective way to compare company rates online.

Discounts can save BIG

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than their less cautious counterparts.
Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as compared to frequent claim filers.
Early Signing – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
Resident Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Oklahoma, click this link.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

Some consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Licensed agents can help determine the best coverages and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important particularly in Oklahoma City.

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Oklahoma City who will battle to get your business. There is no need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!

What type of Oklahoma City insurance agency is right for you?

When searching for a local agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agencies in Oklahoma City can either be captive or independent (non-captive). While both can write coverage properly, but it’s important to know the difference between them since it may influence the selection process.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you include at least one independent agent for the best price selection. They also have the ability to place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates. car insurance image

Shown below are independent agencies in Oklahoma City that are able to give comparison quotes.

Cox-Caskey Agency – 5500 Greenville Ave – Oklahoma City, OK 73132 – (405) 722-1818
Ray Venable Agency – 1900 NW Expressway St # 640 – Oklahoma City, OK 73118 – (405) 842-7430
LA Raza Insurance LC – 1900 N Macarthur Blvd # 124 – Oklahoma City, OK 73127 – (405) 635-1649
Bettes Insurance – 1000 NW Grand Blvd # 130 – Oklahoma City, OK 73118 – (405) 848-4600
Oklahoma General Agency – 630 NE 63rd St – Oklahoma City, OK 73105 – (405) 840-9393

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only write with one company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy insurance from these agents mostly because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

The following are captive insurance agents in Oklahoma City who can help you get price quote information.

Allstate Insurance – 7029 NW 12th St – Oklahoma City, OK 73127 – (405) 495-7340
Farmers Insurance Group – 5916 W Hefner Rd # S – Oklahoma City, OK 73162 – (405) 721-9322
Shelter Insurance – 8320 S Western Ave – Oklahoma City, OK 73139 – (405) 632-2751
Farm Bureau Insurance – 12307 N Rockwell Ave – Oklahoma City, OK 73142 – (405) 728-4400
State Farm Insurance – 351 N Air Depot Blvd – Oklahoma City, OK 73110 – (405) 733-5857
Liberty Mutual – 3503 NW 63rd St – Oklahoma City, OK 73116 – (405) 842-8900

To view a full list of captive insurance agencies in Oklahoma City, view this link.

Choosing an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

Can they give you a list of client referrals?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
How long has their agency been open in Oklahoma City?
Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
How are they compensated?

Once you have received positive feedback to these questions and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that can provide auto insurance coverage.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Consumers can’t ignore all the ads for cheap car insurance in Oklahoma City from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings if you change your policy.

How does each company make the same claim?

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk might be profiled as between 30 and 50, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will get very good rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for these standards will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings.

That is why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

To learn more about auto insurance in Oklahoma

Additional information is available on the Oklahoma Insurance Department website located here. Oklahoma drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, report car insurance fraud, get help finding coverage, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Best coverage at the best price

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to shop for auto insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies.

Low-cost auto insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many Oklahoma City insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent or even high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider can be easier than you think.