No sane person looks forward to buying auto insurance, especially when they know they could lower their rates if they shopped around. With consumers having so many options when it comes to auto insurance, it can be impossible to choose the cheapest company.
Consumers need to price shop coverage quite often because rates change frequently. Even if you got the best premium rates a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out the fastest and easiest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
This article will tell you the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. But Montana car owners need to learn the way companies price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.
Find discounts to get cheap Montana auto insurance rates
Not too many consumers would say auto insurance is affordable, but you may be missing some discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some of these disounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but once in a while a discount must be asked about before you will receive the discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all auto insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Smart Student Discounts – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- Club Memberships – Participating in a professional or civic organization may earn a discount on your policy.
- Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with some auto insurance companies.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same auto insurance company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Waiver for an Accident – This one isn’t a discount, but a few companies such as Allstate, Progressive, and Geico will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck.
To see providers with discount auto insurance rates in Montana, follow this link.
Four things that influence your costs
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the things that help calculate auto insurance rates. If you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may result in big savings. Lots of things are part of the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are more obscure like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting your prices.
- Auto insurance policy lapses increase auto insurance rates – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a guaranteed way to increase your auto insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, the inability to provide proof of insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine.
- Insure car and home with the same company – Most larger insurance companies allow discounts to clients who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, you may still want to compare other company rates to help ensure you have the lowest rates. It’s possible to still save even more than the discount by buying auto insurance from a different company.
- Deter theft and pay less – Owning a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all help prevent car theft and help bring rates down.
- Annual mileage and car insurance prices – The more you drive your car each year the more you will pay for auto insurance. A lot of companies charge rates based upon how much you drive. Cars that do not get driven very much can be on a lower rate level than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Make sure your auto insurance policy properly reflects annual mileage.
Which is the best auto insurance?
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions can help discover if your situation will benefit from professional help.
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
- Should I buy only the required Montana minimum liability coverage?
- Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Dutton?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Insurance agencies are trained to help
Some consumers just want to talk to an insurance agent and that is just fine! The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that drivers can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local insurance agents is still important in Dutton.
Once you complete this quick form, your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Dutton that provide and help you find cheaper coverage. You don’t have to find an agent on your own as quotes are delivered directly to you. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to get a rate quote for a specific company, you can always visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
The following are agents in Dutton that may be willing to give rate quotes.
Becker Insurance Inc – 25 Main St W, Dutton, MT 59433 – (406) 476-3213
Dutton Insurance Assoc Inc – 108 Main St W, Dutton, MT 59433 – (406) 476-3322
Finding the right insurance company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap quote. Agents should be asked these questions:
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Montana?
- How long have they been in business?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Montana insurance information
Additional information can be read on the located here. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Lower rates by being persistent
We just showed you a lot of tips how to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. The goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.