Livingston, MT Auto Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know
Comparing Livingston auto insurance rates online can be difficult if you have never used online quotes. But relax because it’s actually quite easy.
Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Livingston, Montana
Reducing your insurance rates is not rocket science. All that’s required is to take a couple of minutes comparing rate quotes online from several insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. One simple form will get you price quotes from multiple companies. This is by far the quickest method.
- A more time consuming way to compare prices requires you to visit each company website to complete a price quote. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from GEICO, Progressive and Travelers. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Livingston, click here.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just double check that you are using exactly the same coverage information for each price quote. If the quotes have different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Livingston.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Companies don’t list all their discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the best known and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
- Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
- Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
- Sign Online – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To choose providers offering auto insurance discounts in Montana, follow this link.
How your Livingston rates are determined
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-107.jpg" alt="Montana auto insurance“/>
Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine your rates.
- Rural vs Urban Areas – Being located in less populated areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. City drivers have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
- Being married is a good thing – Getting married can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
More detailed Montana auto insurance information can be read at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Montana consumers can find disaster information, learn about insurance regulations, and read industry bulletins.
Also read more on this site for Montana auto insurance information and this list of insurance agents in Livingston, MT.
Don’t be fooled by advertising claims
Consumers in Montana get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim of big savings if you switch your policy.
But how can every company claim to save you money?
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a short commute. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile will be charged higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why companies can advertise the savings. That is why it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. It’s impossible to know which company will give you the biggest savings.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, not issuing a premium refund, extreme rates for teen drivers or even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching auto insurance companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Discount auto insurance can be bought on the web and also from your neighborhood Livingston agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
In this article, we covered a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies.