Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Altus Auto Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of auto insurance companies in Altus? Many other consumers are too. Drivers have so many options available that it can turn into a lot of work to find lower rates.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Altus is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Nevertheless, Oklahoma drivers do need to know how companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all available discounts very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
  • Defensive Driver - Completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Paperless Signup - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing over the internet.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Altus can help you save on auto insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.
  • Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
  • Federal Government Employee - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% depending on your company.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Oklahoma, click here to view.

How to Compare Altus Auto Insurance Costs

There are multiple methods to compare auto insurance prices but one way is less time-consuming than others. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Altus, or you can stay home and use online quotes to achieve your goal.

Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to submit one quote, and every company returns a rated price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The single downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify which carriers you want pricing from. So if you want to select specific providers to compare rates, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Oklahoma. Click here for list of insurance companies in Oklahoma.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but compare identical coverages and limits with each company. If you use different deductibles it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Altus. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can make a big difference in price. Just keep in mind that quoting more helps locate a lower rate.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine premiums.

  • Protect your assets with liability insurance - Liability insurance provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? - There are many extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for personal injury protection, accidental death and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Only having one citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Pay less after the wedding - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Save money with special equipment - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft.
  • Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as judges, business owners and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates in part from job stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs such as actors, engineers and homemakers have the lowest average rates.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you switch to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards must pay more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Do the work, save more money

Cost effective auto insurance is available online and with local Altus insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented many tips how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier.

People switch companies for any number of reasons including questionable increases in premium, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason, switching auto insurance companies is actually quite simple.

auto insurance in Altus

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Oklahoma Insurance Department website. Oklahoma consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, and file complaints about a company.