Feel like you’re a prisoner to an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, there are lots of people in the same boat. Because there are so many car insurance companies to choose from, it’s difficult to choose the right insurer.
Free Quotes for Car Insurance in Livingston
Most major insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico provide coverage price quotes on the web. This process is pretty easy as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. After you submit the form their system automatically orders your credit score and driving record and provides a quote based on these factors. Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but having to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the lowest price.
An easier way to get multiple rate quotes is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from several different companies. It saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes rate comparisons much simpler. As soon as you send your information, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the quotes that you receive. If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and may save quite a bit of money.
If you want to find out what other companies charge, simply click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you type in your coverages as shown on your current policy. This helps ensure you are getting comparison quotes for exact coverage.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Consumers in Montana can’t ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the companies have a common claim about savings after switching your policy.
How can each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a preferred risk could be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile will be charged higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. That is why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Don’t overlook these seven discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than less cautious drivers.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better car insurance rates.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Livingston, follow this link.
Car Insurance through a local agent
Certain consumers prefer to talk to a local agent. Educated insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Selecting an provider shouldn’t rely on just a low price. These questions are important to ask:
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
Listed below is a short list of insurers in Livingston who can help you get rate quotes.
KLIMEK Insurance – 106 N 2nd St, Livingston, MT 59047 – (406) 222-5265
Key Insurance – 123 W Lewis St, Livingston, MT 59047 – (406) 222-0944
After getting answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an insurance company that will provide car insurance coverage.
More detailed Montana car insurance information is available at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.
Other useful links include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this page where you can also get Livingston car insurance quotes.
Auto insurance 101
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.
Collision coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability car insurance – This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage pays for things like court costs, structural damage, medical services, pain and suffering and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Montana state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
UM/UIM Coverage – This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/10 in Montana), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as vandalism, a broken windshield, theft and damage from flooding. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical costs insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses like ambulance fees, surgery and funeral costs. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
A tidy conclusion
You just learned a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.
Cheaper car insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Livingston, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies don’t offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.