If you drive a motor vehicle on public streets in Missouri then you need car insurance. Period. If you are caught driving without car insurance in Missouri the penalties are severe, too severe for you to even consider it.

And you don’t have to. There are ways to reduce your car insurance rates to the point where you can afford to drive in Missouri.

Start by driving defensively and sensibly. Speeding or drunk or impaired driving convictions will cause your car insurance rates to more than double in some cases. And that doesn’t take into consideration the legal consequences of such actions – don’t speed and don’t drink and drive.

Use your seatbelts. A ticket for not using your seatbelt can also raise you car insurance premiums.

If you are in school stay there and keep your grades up so that you will qualify for any Good Student discounts that your car insurance company offers. If you’re 55 or older ask if your car insurance company offers a discount for drivers who take (and pass) a driver’s review program.

If you have more than one car be sure to insure all of them with the same company. Likewise, if you have other insurance policies, such as health insurance or homeowner’s insurance be sure they are also held by the same company – you often get a substantial multi-policy discount.

If you have gone for at least 3 years without an accident or a claim ask if there is a good-driver discount.

If you drive fewer than 12,000 miles per year check to see if there is a limited-use discount that applies to you.

Depending on the age and condition of your car – and whether or not your car still has any Blue Book value – you may want to consider dropping comprehensive coverage. This will save you money but will result in you having to pay for any repairs to your car in case of an accident.

Realistically determine how large of a deductible you can afford to pay. The deductible is the amount you will pay for any claim before you ask your insurance company to pay anything. The larger your deductible the lower your car insurance premium will be.

Now it’s time to go online and compare car insurance policies and prices among as many different car insurance companies as possible. To do this you will need to enter all of your information onto the form on at least 3 different websites since no one website compares the prices of every car insurance company in Missouri.

It can be a bit of work and take a bit of time, but once you’ve made all of the comparisons and found the best rates on car insurance in Missouri, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank for years to come.

If your home is financed by a bank or other financial institution then you will have to carry homeowner’s insurance. However, you do not have to carry the homeowner’s policy that your bank or financial institution probably made you think you had to carry. You have a choice and can switch your policy to practically any insurance company of your choice – and you may save a bundle by doing so.

But regardless of which insurance company you have there are a few things you can do which should save you money – sometimes several hundred dollars each and every year – on your insurance premiums.

First, make sure your policy covers the full replacement cost of your home, but do not make the mistake of insuring for the value of the land underneath your home. The land won’t be damaged by fire or other disaster – just your home and possessions will.

The higher of a deductible you can afford to pay, the lower your monthly premiums will be. This means that you may have to pay for most small repairs to your home yourself, but in case of a large loss you won’t be financially wiped out trying to rebuild.

Make sure every door has a working deadbolt and every window has a working lock. Make sure you have an adequate number of smoke and fire detectors and that they are all working. Keep weeds and brush and trash cleared away from your home. Doing each of these things makes your home less vulnerable to fire and can often save 5% or more on your homeowner’s policy.

Keep you credit record spotless. Many people are not aware that most homeowner’s insurance companies based part of your monthly premium on the quality of your credit record.

If you are 55 or older, check to see if your company has a senior discount on homeowner’s insurance; many do. If you have had your homeowner’s policy with the same company for at least 3 years check to see if the company offers a long-time policyholder’s discount – sometimes such discounts can save you 5% or more on your monthly premiums.

Then get online and compare policies and prices at three or more websites that offer comparisons of homeowner’s insurance policies. Remember, you really need to make the comparisons at more than one website if you truly want to save the most money and get discount homeowner’s insurance here in Missouri.

Making the comparisons can take a lot of time and patience – but just think how much money you will be saving once it’s done.