Expensive auto insurance can drain your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparing price quotes is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill.
There is such a variety of car insurance companies to choose from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, it can be more difficult to get the best deal.
Why your Kia Optima might be costing you more
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.
- Choose a safe vehicle and save – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If your Kia scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Companies award lower rates to insureds who are claim-free. Car insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Jobs such as judges, executives and accountants have higher rates than average attributed to high stress and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, athletes and retirees get better rates for Optima coverage.
- Rural vs Urban Areas – Living in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are many extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.
Finding Auto Insurance
All the larger auto insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO allow you to get pricing on the web. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you simply type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the system pulls information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price quote. Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit multiple sites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit repetitive. But it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for the best price possible.
Rate comparisons made easy
A less time-consuming method to locate the lowest prices utilizes a single form that analyzes rates from more than one company. It saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable. After sending the form, it is rated and you can choose your choice of the resulting price quotes.
If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. The entire process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and may result in a nice savings.
To find out how much you can save on auto insurance, click here to open in a new tab and fill out the form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. Doing this assures you will receive rate quotes for the exact same coverage.
The fine print in auto insurance ads
Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all make the same claim that you’ll save big if you switch to them. How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the requirements must pay a higher premium and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings.
This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.
Lots of discounts mean lots of savings
Car insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but a few need to be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% for Optima coverage with a few auto insurance companies.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
- One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will help reduce your premiums.
Situations that might require an agent
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, 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. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- What is the minimum liability in my state?
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- Is my Kia Optima covered for flood damage?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my Kia Optima is totaled?
- Who is covered by my policy?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Final considerations
You just learned many tips how you can reduce Kia Optima insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier. They may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone dropped full coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
Low-cost Kia Optima insurance can be sourced online in addition to many insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
