Is Your Westminster Car Insurance Leaving a Hole in Your Pocket?
Are you a victim of high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Westminster just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy. Companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance constantly bombard you with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the propoganda and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can learn to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. Buying car insurance in Westminster is easy if you know what you’re doing. Maryland vehicle owners only need to know the tricks to get comparison quotes online.
Free Quotes for Car Insurance in Westminster, Maryland
Most major insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive quote coverage prices online. Obtaining pricing doesn’t take much effort as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. When complete, their system automatically retrieves information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price determined by many factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit different websites and complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to do this if you want to find better prices.
The better way to compare rates
The quickest way to find cheaper rates is to use a quote form to obtain quotes from many companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online much easier. Immediately after submitting the form, it is rated and you can choose any of the returned quotes. If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. It just takes a couple of minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
In order to compare pricing, click here and submit your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you duplicate the insurance coverages as shown on your current policy. This helps ensure you will have a rate comparison for the exact same coverage.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Maryland drivers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big after switching your coverage to them.
How do they all say the same thing?
Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A customer who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential customers who don’t meet these standards will have to pay higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Westminster Rates are Influenced by These Factors
It’s important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Never allow your policy to lapse – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance expire. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage can result in a license revocation or jail time.You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Maryland department of motor vehicles.
- High crash test scores lower rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
- Sex matters – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. They both cause accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
Verify you’re getting all your discounts
Companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
- Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
- College Student – Youth drivers who live away from home and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
When should I talk to an agent?
When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Maryland?
- How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Quote often and quote early
Cheap car insurance can be bought both online in addition to many Westminster insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Additional detailed information is available at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Maryland consumers can file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, view a list of available companies, and download brochures.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Westminster