Expensive car insurance can empty your bank account and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is a smart way to cut your insurance bill. Because there are so many companies and agents to choose from, it can be impossible to find the lowest price company.
It is always a good idea to shop coverage around occasionally since insurance rates go up and down regularly. If you had the best rates last year there may be better deals available now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the quickest ways to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
Polson Car Insurance Quote Comparison
Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you aren’t aware of the fastest way to get free quotes. You could waste time driving to insurance companies in Polson, or you could use online quoting to get the quickest rates.
Most major companies take part in a program where prospective buyers submit one quote, and at least one company returns a rated price for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests for each company.
To use this form to compare rates click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose the insurers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to request quotes from, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Montana. View list of Montana insurance companies.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverages with every price quote. If you enter different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Polson.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically when you complete an application, but some must be specially asked for in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- Sign Online – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy online.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
To choose providers offering car insurance discounts in Montana, click here.
What coverages do I need?
When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions may help highlight whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
Why you might pay higher rates in Polson
Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things 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 could result in big savings.
- Lower rates come with age – Young drivers in Montana are known to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
- Is your vehicle built for speed? – The performance of the car you own makes a big difference in determining your rates. Small economy passenger vehicles usually have the lowest rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Do you have a high stress job? – Jobs such as doctors, executives and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average in part from job stress and long work hours. On the flip side, professions such as pilots, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.
- Liability coverage protects you – Your policy’s liability coverage is the protection when you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Better credit scores mean better rates – Your credit history is a important factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit score is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower credit scores.
- Small claims can cost you – Car insurance companies in Montana give cheaper rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Low deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, or theft. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
- Where you live – Choosing to live in less populated areas has it’s advantages when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated Montana areas have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. More time on the road translates into higher accident risk.
Shop smart and save
Cost effective car insurance is attainable both online and also from your neighborhood Polson agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
More Montana car insurance resources
Additional information can be found on the website for the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance located here. Consumers can get help finding coverage, find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, and report car insurance fraud.