If you’re new to shopping for auto insurance online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed due to the large number of online companies vying for business in Lawton.
It’s a good habit to take a look at other company’s rates occasionally since insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you think you had the best price a year ago you can probably find a better price now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out one of the best ways to buy cheaper auto insurance.
How to Get Auto Insurance in Lawton
Cutting your Lawton auto insurance rates is a fairly straight forward process. The only thing you need to do is take a few minutes getting comparison quotes provided by online insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to find low rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This method keeps you from doing boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will get you price quotes .It’s the quickest way to get rates.
- A more time consuming way to shop for auto insurance online requires visiting each company’s website to complete a price quote. For example, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Farmers, Safeco and State Farm. You would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in Lawton, click here.
- The hardest way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to local Lawton insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can comparison shop online and get advice from an agent in your area. We’ll cover that shortly.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using the exact same information on every quote. If you enter different deductibles it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best in Lawton.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Lawton may earn you a small savings because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.
Car Insurance through a local agent
Some people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! Licensed agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but also keep your business local. And supporting small agencies is especially important in Lawton.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the quote information gets sent to companies in Lawton who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. How cool is that?!
Compare rates from both independent and captive insurance agents
When finding a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies to choose from. Lawton agents are classified as either independent or captive. Both do a good job, but it’s worth learning how they are different since it can impact buying decisions.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.
Below are Lawton independent insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.
- Homer Koch Agency – 5711 NW Ash Ave – Lawton, OK 73505 – (580) 357-7722
- Smisson Agency – 402 NW Fort Sill Blvd – Lawton, OK 73507 – (580) 355-5433
- Larry Bush Agency – 1416 NW 52nd St – Lawton, OK 73505 – (580) 354-1017
- Mc Bride Insurance – 1201 W Gore Blvd # E – Lawton, OK 73501 – (580) 355-5786
- London Insurance – 1116 SW C Ave – Lawton, OK 73501 – (580) 353-3276
Captive Agents
These agents work for only one company such as AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They generally cannot compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. They are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers sometimes buy from captive agents primarily because of the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Below are Lawton captive insurance agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 1306 NW 53rd St – Lawton, OK 73505 – (580) 355-5646
- Shelter Insurance – 502 NW Sheridan Rd # 6b – Lawton, OK 73505 – (580) 357-4057
To view a complete directory of captive agencies in Lawton, view this link.
Choosing a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
Once you have answers to your satisfaction for all questions you ask and a low price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your auto insurance policy.
Learn How to Lower your Rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.
The list below includes some of the factors used by your company to calculate prices.
- With age comes lower rates – Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be less responsible behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
- Your car’s features help determine rates – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
- Liability coverage is peace of mind – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Your job and insurance rates – Careers like real estate brokers, architects and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates because of stressful work requirements and long work hours. On the other hand, jobs such as actors, students and retirees pay the least.
- Women pay lower rates – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes cause accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Better credit scores mean better rates – Having a bad credit rating is a big factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit scores. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by repairing your credit.
- Performance makes a difference – The performance of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. Low performance passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Being married can save on auto insurance – Being married can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. It usually means you are more mature and responsible and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Buy online or local, you save
Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Lawton agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, extreme rates for teen drivers, denial of a claim or even delays in paying claims. No matter why you want to switch, switching companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.
When you buy insurance online, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where someone dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
Consumer auto insurance information in Oklahoma
Additional auto insurance information is available on the Oklahoma Insurance Department website through this link. Consumers can view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and report car insurance fraud.