Overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Cambridge? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many options available that it can quickly become a ton of work to find lower rates.
Finding the best rates in Cambridge is not that difficult. If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates and possibly find even better coverage. Maryland drivers only need to know how to get comparison rates online.
Free Cambridge Auto Insurance Quotes
Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is surprisingly easy. Drivers just need to take the time comparing rates from different insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
The easiest and least time consuming way consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating a different quote for every auto insurance company. One simple form will return quotes direct from many companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
A more time consuming way to get comparison quotes requires visiting the website of each company to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, let’s say you want to compare Progressive, Esurance and Liberty Mutual. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Cambridge, click here.
The least efficient way of getting rate comparisons is to waste gas driving to different agent offices. Shopping for auto insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional guidance of a licensed agent. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we’ll touch on that later.
Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples quote information for every quote you compare. If the quotes have differing limits it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Cambridge.
Are you falling for claims of savings?
Maryland consumers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you switch to their company.
How does each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk could be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any new insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when they switch companies.
Potential customers who do not match the “perfect” profile must pay more money and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how companies can make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why you absolutely need to get quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
These nine discounts can lower your rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the more common as well as the least known auto insurance savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
- Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
- No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of more than 20%.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.
To see a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates in Cambridge, click this link.
Price shop online but buy from a local Cambridge agent
A small number of people would prefer to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Educated insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Cambridge who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go directly to your email.
Choosing a company requires more thought than just the price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- How long has their agency been open in Cambridge?
Not all insurance agents are the same
When looking for an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that you can select. Insurance agencies in Cambridge are classified as either captive or independent. Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they are different because it can influence your agent selection.
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents work for only one company such as American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Captives are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often purchase coverage from captives primarily because of high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Below is a short list of captive agencies in Cambridge that are able to give price quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 7 Cedar St – Cambridge, MD 21613 – (410) 228-6262
- State Farm Insurance – 722 Cambridge Plz – Cambridge, MD 21613 – (410) 228-2665
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparison shopping, you should always include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.Most can insure with lesser-known insurance companies which can be an advantage.
The following are Cambridge independent agencies willing to provide price quotes.
- Mullaney Insurance – 405 Academy St – Cambridge, MD 21613 – (410) 228-1050
- Swann Insurance Inc – 2 Willis St – Cambridge, MD 21613 – (410) 228-5011
To view a full list of insurance agents in Cambridge, go to this page.
After getting positive responses to these questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that will adequately provide auto insurance. Keep in mind consumers can cancel your coverage whenever you wish so don’t assume that you’re stuck with the auto insurance policy for the entire policy term.
Tailor your coverage to you
When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover if you might need an agent’s assistance.
- If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Maryland?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Even more information can be found at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and discover disciplinary actions.
These articles may also be worth reading.
- Compare Cambridge Massachusetts Auto Insurance Cheaper With These Proven Methods
- Cambridge, MD Car Insurance Savings the Companies Dont Want You to Know About
- Methods for Saving Money on Cambridge, MA Auto Insurance Rates
Auto insurance coverages explained
Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Coverage for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses such as dental work, funeral costs, doctor visits, pain medications and prosthetic devices. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/15), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Liability coverages – Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability coverage pays for things like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses, emergency aid, structural damage and pain and suffering. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Maryland requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/15,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane, vandalism, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for things like hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch, rolling your car, crashing into a building and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Affordable insurance is out there
We just showed you many ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.
Cheaper auto insurance is attainable from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Cambridge, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.