Is Your Dodge City Auto Insurance Costing Too Much?

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparing price quotes is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to tighten up your finances. Drivers have multiple car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, it makes it harder to adequately compare rates.

Finding the best rates in Dodge City is not rocket science. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Kansas vehicle owners just need to understand the tricks to get comparison quotes online.

Discounts can save BIG

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both the well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can earn a substantially lower rate.
Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education in high school.
Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
Club Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Shown below are some of the factors that factor into prices.

Women pay lower rates – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
Performance influences rates – The make and model of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a big difference in your rates. Low performance passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Discounts for married couples – Having a wife or husband can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more mature and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Teen drivers pay high rates – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Young drivers tend to be less responsible behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Optional equipment can affect rates – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all hinder car theft.
Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies in Kansas generally give better rates to policyholders who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Liability coverage protects you – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
Do you know your deductibles? – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, vandalism, or theft. The higher the amount you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.

What coverages do I need?

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions may help you determine if you might need an agent’s assistance.

Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.

Local Dodge City agents and auto insurance

Some consumers prefer to sit down with an agent and that is OK! Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find lower rates and still choose a local agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the coverage information is sent to companies in Dodge City who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy!

Picking an insurer should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:

If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
What insurance companies do they work with?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
How are they compensated?

Compare rates from both independent and captive insurance agents

When researching a local agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. Insurance agencies in Dodge City are categorized either independent or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can impact your agent selection.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agencies have only one company to place business with such as State Farm or Allstate. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agencies are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.

Listed below is a list of captive insurance agents in Dodge City that are able to give comparison quotes.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 1701 N 14th Ave # 2 – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-9612
Shelter Insurance – 2400 1st Ave # 102 – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-8054
State Farm Insurance – 2520 N 14th Ave – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 225-5631
American Family Insurance – 2400 1st Ave # 103 – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-2733

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you contact at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.

The following is a list of independent agencies in Dodge City that can give you price quote information.

C S Trent Agency – 100 Military Ave # 121a – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-6500
Don Luallen Insurance Inc – 2011 Central Ave – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-2146
Burr-Butler Insurance – 312 W Wyatt Earp Blvd – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-3196
Joseph Peters Agency Inc – 106 W Frontview St # 2 – Dodge City, KS 67801 – (620) 227-8722

For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Dodge City, go to this page.

Once you have reasonable responses to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that will insure your vehicles.

Additional resources for Kansas consumers

More detailed Kansas auto insurance information can be read at the Kansas Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the least-expected company. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed full coverage only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.