Auto · Updated September 2026
Auto premium is built from things about you and things about the car. Your driving record and claims history. Your age and how long you have been licensed. Where the vehicle is garaged, down to the ZIP code. How far you drive and what for. The vehicle itself — repair cost matters more than purchase price, which is why some modest cars rate higher than people expect. Your coverage limits and deductibles. And with most carriers, your insurance score.
Some of that you cannot change this week. Plenty of it you can.
Shop the market, properly. Carriers reprice constantly and their appetite shifts. The company that was cheapest for you three years ago often is not now, and nothing about your policy tells you that. This is the single biggest lever and it costs you a phone call.
Bundle home or renters with auto. Usually the largest discount available. Renters is inexpensive on its own and the auto discount often covers a good share of it.
Raise the deductible, if you can absorb it. Going from $500 to $1,000 on collision and comprehensive lowers premium noticeably — but only do it if you could write that check tomorrow.
Reconsider physical damage on an old vehicle. If the car is worth $2,000, paying for collision with a $1,000 deductible buys very little.
Pay in full, or set up automatic payments. Both commonly earn credits, and paying in full avoids installment fees entirely.
Ask what you are not getting. Defensive driving courses, good student, telematics, paperless, multi-car, long-term customer, affinity and occupational discounts all exist with some carriers. Most drivers qualify for more than they are receiving.
Fix the details. A commute listed at 40 miles when you now work from home, a teenager still rated on the policy after they moved out, a car you sold last spring — stale information costs real money.
Cutting liability to the state minimum saves a modest amount and exposes everything you own. Dropping uninsured motorist coverage saves even less and removes the protection that pays when the at-fault driver has nothing.
A lapse to save a month's premium is the most expensive saving available: it raises your rate at the next policy, and in some cases makes carriers unwilling to write you at all.
And the cheapest quote is not automatically the best one. Check the limits and deductibles line by line — a quote that is cheaper because it carries half the coverage is not actually cheaper.
We are independent, so comparing is the whole job. Send us your current declarations page and we will put your coverage side by side with what else is available, flag anything that looks underinsured, and show you what the difference costs. Personal lines quotes usually come back immediately.
Shop the market first — carrier pricing shifts constantly and loyalty is rarely rewarded. Then bundle, review deductibles, drop physical damage on low-value vehicles, pay in full, and make sure the policy reflects your actual mileage, drivers and vehicles.
Usually yes, and it is often the largest single discount available. Even renters insurance, which costs around $125 a year, can trigger an auto discount that offsets much of its own cost.
It helps, particularly moving from $500 to $1,000. Only do it if you could pay that deductible without difficulty, because you are trading certain small savings for an occasional larger bill.
Only if the coverage matches. Compare limits, deductibles and uninsured motorist coverage before comparing price — a cheaper policy with state minimum liability is a different product, not a better deal.
Questions about your own situation? Call 417.623.8300 or send us your current policy. We are licensed in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Questions about your own policy? Send it over and we will go through it with you.