Nobody I know gets a kick out of paying for car insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Many insurance companies vie for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies to discover the definitive lowest rate possible.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using these methods. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Houlton is not rocket science. But Maine drivers do need to know how big insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.
Are you earning every discount?
Some insurance providers don’t always advertise all possible discounts very clearly, so the below list has both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving when you . If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you may be paying too high a price.
- No Charge for an Accident – This one isn’t a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide before raising your premiums so long as you are claim-free before the accident.
- Good Student Discount – This discount may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select companies reward you with a lower premium rate if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better premium rates.
You should keep in mind that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.
Large car insurance companies and a selection of discounts are:
- The Hartford may offer discounts for driver training, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, air bag, and anti-theft.
- American Family discounts include multi-vehicle, early bird, good driver, good student, and bundled insurance.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and online signing.
- Travelers has discounts for IntelliDrive, new car, multi-policy, multi-car, and save driver.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for homeowner, switch companies, distant student, mature driver, and early shopping.
- USAA offers discounts including military installation, defensive driver, multi-policy, family discount, new vehicle, safe driver, and vehicle storage.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new move discount, preferred payment discount, hybrid vehicle, good student, safety features, exclusive group savings, and newly married.
Double check with each company to give you their best rates. Some discounts listed above may not be available in Houlton. If you would like to view insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Houlton, click here to view.
When in doubt talk to an agent
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
- 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?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Auto insurance 101
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Coverage for liability
Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-16.jpg" alt="Maine insurance quotes“/>
Liability coverage protects against claims like structural damage, court costs and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Maine requires drivers to carry at least 50,000/100,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as rock chips in glass, fire damage, damage from getting keyed and hail damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage protection
Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
UM/UIM Coverage
This protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since many Maine drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 50/100/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Medical costs insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses for hospital visits, surgery, dental work, doctor visits and X-ray expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and find out industry alerts.
Additional helpful sites include this resource for Maine car insurance prices and this list of insurance agents in Houlton, ME.
Don’t give up on cheaper premiums
When shopping online for car insurance, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Cheap car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Houlton insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who may not offer rates over the internet and most of the time these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agents.