Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can overdraw your bank account and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to help make ends meet. Because you have many insurance companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the cheapest insurer.
Smart consumers take time to compare rates periodically since insurance rates change regularly. Even if you got the best deal a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
Buying car insurance in Hardin is quite easy. If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these tips to find better prices and still get good coverage. Montana drivers only need to know the most effective way to compare rates over the internet.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Hardin, MT
Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take time and effort if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You could spend your day driving to insurance agencies in Hardin, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Many companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and every company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote requests for every car insurance company.
To compare pricing click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to comparing rates this way is you cannot specify which providers you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in Montana. Click here for list of insurance companies in Montana.
However you get your quotes, compare the exact same coverages for every company. If each company quotes unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Hardin.
Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The higher the mileage driven each year the higher your rate. Most companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Double check that your car insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Older drivers pay less – Youthful drivers in Montana tend to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a young driver to your policy can be quite pricey. Older drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
- Performance level impacts rates – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Sex matters – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. They both tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI.
- Multi-policy discounts can save money – Many companies give discounts to policyholders who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money.
Don’t overlook these discounts
Companies do not advertise all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared to bad drivers.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Hardin, click this link.
Is my situation unique?
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions might point out whether you will benefit from professional help.
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Hardin?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.
Buy online or local, you save
When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
We covered some good ideas how you can get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find 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 Allstate or State Farm.
More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, find disaster information, view agent and company licensing information, and report car insurance fraud.
Other useful links include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and CarInsuranceDIY.com.