If you’re shopping for more affordable insurance online, do you get frustrated by the number of auto insurance sources in your area? You’re not alone. You have so many choices that it can quickly become more work than you anticipated to find lower rates. Belfast is a great city to raise a family in, but finding the money to pay for auto insurance can make it nearly impossible to afford coverage.
You should take the time to get comparison quotes at least once a year because auto insurance prices change regularly. Even if you got the best price at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some solid techniques on how to reduce your auto insurance bill.
Maine auto insurance discounts
Companies don’t always list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous discounts that you may qualify for.
- Memberships – Joining certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your next renewal.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars and trucks equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save you some money because new vehicles are generally safer.
- Smart Student Discounts – Being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Safe drivers can save up to 40% or more on their compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
Policy discounts save money, but most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, that’s just not realistic.
Companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm has savings for good student, driver’s education, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, and multiple autos.
- American Family includes discounts for air bags, Steer into Savings, bundled insurance, accident-free, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, and early bird.
- Geico may offer discounts for multi-policy, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, daytime running lights, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and air bags.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including automatic seat belts, theft prevention, anti-lock brakes, homeowners, defensive driver, and air bags.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, and good student.
Check with each insurance company what discounts are available to you. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in every state.
Why your cost might be higher
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. When you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in big savings.
- Your gender affects premiums – Over time, data shows women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn’t mean females are better at driving than males. Both genders have at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but guys cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Not only that, but men also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
- Younger drivers cost more – Older, more experienced drivers are shown to be more cautious, file fewer claims , and usually have better credit.Teen drivers are statistically shown to get distracted easily in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates.
- Always keep your coverage in place – Driving any period of time without insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. Not only will you pay higher rates, failure to provide proof of insurance may result in fines or a revoked license. You will then be forced to file a SR-22 with the Maine motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Rates can drop if you have more than one policy – Most major insurance companies will award a discount for people who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even with this discount, drivers will still want to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still save even more than the discount by buying from different companies
Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique.
For instance, these questions might help in determining if you might need professional guidance.
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- What is the minimum liability in Maine?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
The auto insurance bait and switch
Popular auto insurance providers such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. All the companies tend to make the same promise that you’ll save big after switching your auto insurance coverage to their company. How does every company charge lower premium rates? This is the trick they use.
Insurance companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer that will add to their bottom line. For example, a profitable insured might be described as a married male, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. A driver who fits those characteristics receive the lowest rate quotes and will cut their rates if they switch.
Insureds who are not a match for this stringent profile will be charged a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer buying from someone else. The trick companies use is to say “drivers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best car insurance rates.
Because each company has a different risk profile, it’s extremely important to compare rate quotes every year. You cannot predict with any certainty which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Learn more about Maine auto insurance
More information can be read on the through this link. Maine consumers can file complaints about a company, find out which companies have the most complaints, and get help finding coverage.
Other useful links include this resource for Maine auto insurance prices and this page where you can research Belfast insurance agents.
One last thing
In this article, we presented many ways to lower your auto insurance prices. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding . You may even find the best prices are with the smaller companies.
Cheap auto insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Belfast, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies do not offer price quotes online and these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.
When searching for , you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.