10 Simple Tricks to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Gorham, ME

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of car insurance options in Gorham? You’re not the only one! Drivers have so many options available that it can be a lot of work to locate the lowest price.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Companies do not list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we break down some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Resident Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
  • Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
  • Senior Citizens – Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
  • Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
  • Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
  • Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Gorham, follow this link.

Gorham Car Insurance Comparisons

Most major insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico give insurance quotes directly from their websites. Getting online rates is quite easy as you simply enter your coverage information into a form. After the form is submitted, their system automatically orders information on your driving record and credit history and generates a price based on these and other factors.

Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit many different websites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it’s absolutely necessary to get many rate quotes in order to get the lowest price.

Compare rates the easy way

The preferred way to find better car insurance pricing uses one form that gets prices from many companies. This type of form saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable and efficient. As soon as you send your information, your coverage is rated and you can select any one of the returned quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To find out how much you can save on car insurance, simply click here to open in new window and enter your information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you copy your coverages just like they are on your policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will have rate quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

But I want to work with a local agent

Certain consumers prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

After completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Gorham who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide.

Deciding on a company shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

  • Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
  • Is working in the agency their full-time job?
  • How often do they review policy coverages?
  • If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
  • If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
  • Will your rates increase after a single accident?
  • Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?

Gorham insurance agents are either independent or captive

When looking for a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two different agency structures to choose from. Insurance agencies in Gorham can either be captive or independent. While both can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can influence your agent selection.

Agency Captives

This type of agents write business for a single company and examples are State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.save money image

Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Gorham who may provide you with price quotes.

  • Allstate Insurance – 36 Main St – Gorham, ME 04038 – (207) 839-6600
Independent Agents

These agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.Most can insure with smaller companies who may have lower rates.

Below is a short list of independent agents in Gorham willing to provide comparison quotes.

  • C E Carll Agency – 65a Main St – Gorham, ME 04038 – (207) 839-3371
  • Gary P Towle Insurance – 39 Main St # C – Gorham, ME 04038 – (207) 839-6585
  • Gorham Insurance – 12 Elm St – Gorham, ME 04038 – (207) 839-2923

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Gorham, view this link.

After getting positive feedback for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your car insurance policy. But remember, policyholders can terminate coverage any time you want so never assume that you are obligated to any particular company for any length of time.

The coverage is in the details

Learning about specific coverages of car insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as vandalism, theft and hail damage. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Since many Maine drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (50/100/25), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against things like sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, colliding with a tree, rolling your car and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

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Liability car insurance

Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Maine requires minimum liability limits of 50,000/100,000/25,000 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as dental work, prosthetic devices, ambulance fees, pain medications and funeral costs. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Summing up your car insurance search

As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, questionable increases in premium, high rates after DUI convictions or high prices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right car insurance provider can be pretty painless.

We’ve covered some good ideas how you can shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

To learn even more about car insurance

Additional detailed information can be found at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Maine consumers can view a list of available companies, learn about specific coverages, and read state legal mandates and laws.