Regrettably, most drivers have remained with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and almost half have never even shopped around for lower-cost coverage. Kansas City insurance shoppers can cut their rates by about $323 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they don’t believe the big savings they would realize if they switched to a more affordable policy.
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get the cheapest auto insurance rates in Kansas City is to compare prices once a year from companies in Missouri.
- Spend some time learning about how companies set rates and the things you can control to prevent rate increases. Many things that increase rates such as traffic violations, accidents, and poor credit history can be remedied by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
- Obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Notify your agent or company of your intention to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit a down payment and signed policy application for your new policy. As soon as you receive it, store the certificate verifying coverage with your vehicle’s registration.
The most important part of this process is to make sure you enter identical coverage information on each quote and and to compare as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
Lower Your Kansas City Insurance Costs
Multiple criteria are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense such as traffic violations, but some are more obscure such as whether you are married or how safe your car is. Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that could help you find lower premium levels.
The following are some of the major factors used by your company to calculate premiums.
Liability protection limits should be high – The liability coverage on your policy will afford coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Your gender affects premiums – Over time, data shows females are less aggressive when driving. The data does not necessarily mean that males are worse at driving than females. Women and men cause accidents at a similar rate, but the males get into accidents with more damage. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
Marriage discount – Having a spouse may cut your premiums on your auto insurance bill. It may mean you are more financially stable and insurance companies reward insureds because drivers who are married are more cautious.
Gaps in coverage mean higher prices – Driving with no insurance can get you a ticket and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance coverage expire. In addition to paying higher premiums, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you fines and jail time. Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Missouri DMV.
Rural areas have lower rates – Living in a rural area is a positive aspect when trying to find low car insurance rates. Less people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated Missouri areas tend to have more traffic problems and more severe claims. More time behind the wheel translates into higher accident risk.
Insurance losses for a Buick Regal – Insurers take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle when they set coverage costs for each model. Models that the statistics show to have higher frequency or amount of claims will have higher rates for specific coverages. The next table illustrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Buick Regal vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is considered to be 100. Values that are below 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while values over 100 indicate more frequent losses or an increased probability of a larger loss.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buick Regal 2WD | 96 | 92 | 82 | 104 | 94 | 97 |
| Buick Regal 4WD | 113 | 87 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
How to buy Kansas City Buick Regal insurance online
The are a couple different ways to get quotes from many different Missouri insurance companies. The fastest way to find cheaper Buick Regal rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online.
Keep in mind that comparing all the rates in your area gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate than you’re paying now.
The companies shown below offer comparison quotes in Kansas City, MO. If you want to find the best cheap auto insurance in MO, it’s a good idea that you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Three reasons auto insurance is important
Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in Kansas City, insuring your vehicle is mandatory in Missouri but it also protects more than you think.
First, the majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires specific limits of liability if you want to drive legally. In Missouri these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you have a loan on your vehicle, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have physical damage coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Buick at an extremely high rate and require you to fork over for it.
Third, insurance safeguards both your Buick and your personal assets. It will also cover medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the price paid, particularly for liability claims. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is overpaying more than $825 a year so compare rates every year to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Some companies do not advertise every discount they offer very clearly, so the next list breaks down a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous ways to save on insurance.
- Responsible Drivers – Safe drivers can save up to 40% or more on their Kansas City car insurance quote than drivers with accident claims.
- Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- 55 and Retired – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens could receive lower premium rates.
- Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades may save as much as 25% on a Kansas City car insurance quote. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with one company they may give you a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags can qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- Online Discount – A few insurance companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy on the internet.
- Employee of Federal Government – Federal government employees may qualify for a discount when you quote Kansas City car insurance with certain companies.
- Early Switch Discount – A few insurance companies allow discounts for switching companies prior to your current Regal insurance policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you buy Kansas City car insurance online.
It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will definitely lower the amount you pay for coverage.
To find providers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Missouri, click here to view.
Buying auto insurance from Kansas City insurance agencies
Many people still prefer to go talk to an agent and that is not a bad decision One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent. Putting coverage with local agencies is still important in Kansas City.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your coverage information is instantly submitted to agents in your area who want to provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t even need to do any legwork since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, you can always navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
Choosing an company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. The following questions are important to ask.
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Missouri?
- What companies can they write with?
Don’t give up on cheaper rates
Cost effective Buick Regal insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to many Kansas City insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and usually these smaller companies work with independent agents.
Drivers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as policy non-renewal, denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions and extreme rates for teen drivers. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.
We just showed you some good ideas how to find cheap Buick Regal insurance in Kansas City. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the most savings is with a small local company.
For more information, feel free to visit the articles below:
- What is Covered by an Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 50 in Kansas City? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for 16 Year Olds in Kansas City? (FAQ)
- Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)
- What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)