Selecting a auto insurance company in Hazelwood, Missouri can be time consuming since finding the best Missouri car insurance agent is more difficult than just using the same car insurance agent as your neighbor. For this article’s sake, it’s assumed you’re wanting a highly trained agent, but you also want the lowest possible price.
With companies like American Family, Allstate, State Farm and independent agents all competing for your business, it’s difficult to determine which will provide you with the cheapest rates and the best coverage. To begin, it’s easy to use insurance quotes online to get a list of agents to choose from.
Car Insurance through a local Hazelwood agent
Good agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local businesses is important especially in Hazelwood.
By using this simple form, your insurance data is sent to companies in Hazelwood who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.
Best auto insurance agent in Hazelwood
When looking for an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agents are either captive or independent.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.Most can insure with smaller regional carriers which may provide better rates.
Shown below are Hazelwood independent insurance agencies that can give you rate quotes.
- Advantis Insurance – – Hazelwood, MO 63044 – (314) 291-6400
- Best Choice Insurance – 15 Village Square Shop Ctr – Hazelwood, MO 63042 – (314) 645-7777
Captive Agents
Captive agencies can only place business with one company such as Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Captive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only purchase coverage from captives partially due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below is a list of captive insurance agents in Hazelwood that are able to give price quote information.
- American Family Insurance – 13033 Taussig Ave – Hazelwood, MO 63044 – (314) 739-2079
- Shelter Insurance – 5960 Howdershell Rd # 109 – Hazelwood, MO 63042 – (314) 895-4442
- Allstate Insurance – 5494 Brown Rd # 106 – Hazelwood, MO 63042 – (314) 731-3456
- State Farm Insurance – 207 Village Square Shop Ctr – Hazelwood, MO 63042 – (314) 895-4155
To view a full list of captive agencies in Hazelwood, visit this site.
Choosing an insurance agent requires more thought than just the price. These questions are important to ask:
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Missouri?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Who are their largest clients?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.
Do online insurance companies save me money?
Licensed agents are a valuable resource, but you can also find affordable Missouri auto insurance from companies direct over the internet. Certain companies, such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers, who have local agents in Hazelwood also allow consumers to buy online, and that can save time if you prefer not to work with an agent.
If you’re anxious about not having professional advice when buying direct, this really isn’t an issue. All companies provide options to help you decide which coverages are appropriate. Also available are online education and live help anytime you can access prior to buying.
When trying to find the best rates, the only way to determine whether online companies or local agents have lower rates is to get price quotes for both. Even though it sounds odd, people frequently get different pricing from agents as you do online for the identical company.
Does car insurance cost less online? Many people think so, but it’s hard to say for sure since there may be dozens of rate factors that can increase policy rates. Many people think that a consumer who buys direct saves by not paying a commission. In reality, it’s expensive to advertise so the rates may be similar to buying from an agent.
In conclusion
Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, high prices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company can be less work than you think.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Much more information about auto insurance in Missouri can be found on the Missouri Department of Insurance website located here. Missouri consumers can view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
