York Maine Car Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Saving money on York car insurance can be hard for beginners to comparing rates online. There are so many choices that it can turn into a challenge to find the best price in York.

It’s a good habit to do rate comparisons yearly since insurance rates change quite often. Even if you think you had the best deal on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn a bunch of ideas how to quit paying high car insurance rates.

Buying car insurance in York is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Maine drivers just need to learn how to compare rates over the internet.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Companies that sell car insurance do not list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are throwing money away.

  • Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
  • Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
  • New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
  • Senior Citizens – Older drivers may qualify for better car insurance rates.
  • Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Maine, click this link.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

The list below includes some of the factors used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Performance makes a difference – The performance level of the car you own makes a big difference in your rates. The lowest rates tend to be for low performance passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one speeding ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers with severe tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Save money with special equipment – Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money – Many insurers will award you with lower prices to people who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Sex matters – Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
  • Do no-fault laws apply in Maine?
  • Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
  • Who is covered by my policy?
  • What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Maine?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Car Insurance through a local agent

A small number of people just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find better rates but also keep your business local.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to your email. How’s that for easy!

Choosing an insurer needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

  • Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
  • If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
  • Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
  • Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
  • Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
  • Are they full-time agents?
  • Can they give you a list of client referrals?

Below is a short list of car insurance companies in York willing to provide price quotes.

  • Newson-Lontine Insurance – 646 Us Route 1, York, ME 03909 – (207) 363-7920
  • Allstate Insurance – 18 York St, York, ME 03909 – (207) 363-8604
  • Ellis Insurance – 196 York St, York, ME 03909 – (207) 363-7670

To view a full list of York insurance agents, go to this page.

Once you have satisfactory answers to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, it’s possible that you found a company that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.

More Maine car insurance information

More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Maine consumers can get help finding coverage, find disaster information, discover disciplinary actions, and read state legal mandates and laws.

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Buy online or local, you save

We just showed you a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company.

Drivers switch companies for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund or delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is not as hard as you think.

When shopping online for car insurance, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.