6 Must-Know Tricks When Buying Murray Kentucky Auto Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparing price quotes is a smart way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

Many car insurance companies compete for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every provider to find the best rate

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Murray is quite easy. But Kentucky vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies market on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be asked about prior to getting the savings.

• Driver Safety – Completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
• Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Own a Home – Owning a house in Murray may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
• Drivers Education – Have your child take driver’s ed class in school.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Distant Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Kentucky, click here.

Many Things Influence your Rates

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

• Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Letting your insurance expire will be a sure-fire way to pay more for auto insurance. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may have to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Kentucky motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
• Your job and insurance rates – Occupations like real estate brokers, business owners and accountants tend to have higher rates than average due to high stress levels and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as scientists, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.
• High crash test scores lower rates – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
• Please use or commuting – The more you drive in a year the higher your rates will be. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars left parked in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance policy is rated on the correct driver usage.
• Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability coverage is the protection if a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
• High numbers of claims are not good – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in Kentucky award discounts to policyholders who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Special features that cut premiums – Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping car theft.

How to know if you need help

When it comes to choosing coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.

• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• Am I getting all the discounts available?
• What are Kentucky no-fault laws?
• What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Do I need a local agent?

Certain consumers would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is important especially in Murray.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to agents in your area who will return price quotes to get your business. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Choose the right car insurance agent

When finding an insurance agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Murray agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you include several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in Murray who can help you get pricing information.

Mc Connell Insurance – 905 Sycamore St – Murray, KY 42071 – (270) 753-4199
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1702 State Route 121 Byp N – Murray, KY 42071 – (270) 753-4703

Agency Captives

These agents can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

The following are Murray captive agents that are able to give comparison quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 1406 N 12th St # G – Murray, KY 42071 – (270) 759-5151
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1702 State Route 121 Byp N – Murray, KY 42071 – (270) 753-4703
State Farm Insurance – 302 Main St – Murray, KY 42071 – (270) 753-9935

To view a complete directory of Murray captive insurance agencies, click here to link.

Picking a car insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?

Once you have answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that can insure your vehicles.

Do you really save 40% when you switch?

State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you switch your policy. But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

This illustrates why drivers must compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Some additional reading

Additional information can be read on the website for the Kentucky Department of Insurance through this link. Kentucky drivers can find out industry alerts, discover disciplinary actions, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include QuoteClickInsure.com and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.

Keep this in mind

When you buy insurance online, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced full coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.

Low-cost auto insurance can be purchased online and with local Murray insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.