Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together to insure your vehicles every month? You are no different than most other car owners in Maine. Many car insurance companies vie for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the definite lowest rate possible.
Factors that affect insurance rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.
The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into prices.
- Your job and insurance rates – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Jobs such as real estate brokers, executives and dentists tend to have the highest average rates due to job stress and long work hours. Other professions such as farmers, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
- Small claims can cost you – Insurance companies in Maine provide cheaper rates to people who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is designed for the large, substantial claims.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping auto theft.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Most insurers provide better rates to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Safer cars get lower rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Free Waterville Auto Insurance Quotes
Cutting your Waterville auto insurance rates is surprisingly easy. All you need to do is spend a few minutes on the computer getting comparison quotes provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to find low rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for each company. Taking the time to complete one form will get you rate comparisons from several companies.
- Another way to get quotes online is going to each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll assume you want rates from Farmers, State Farm and Allstate. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Waterville, click here.
However you get your quotes, make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples quote information with every price quote. If you are comparing higher or lower deductibles then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate in Waterville.
Beware of misleading auto insurance ads
Consumers in Maine constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Geico, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim that you’ll save big if you change your coverage to them.
But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who don’t qualify for the requirements will be quoted higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you absolutely need to get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
These discounts can slash auto insurance rates
Car insurance companies don’t always list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Memberships – Participating in a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
- Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
- New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
- Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
To see a list of insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Waterville, follow this link.
When might I need the advice of an agent?
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might help in determining if you could use an agent’s help.
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Maine?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Additional detailed information is located at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Maine consumers can read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, and find a variety of consumer forms.
More comparisons equals lower rates
Cheap auto insurance can be bought both online and with local Waterville insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to shop for auto insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small local company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.