10 Discounts Standish Shoppers Forget when Buying Car Insurance

Buying the most affordable Standish car insurance on the internet is impossible for beginners to comparison shopping online. With so many companies in the marketplace, how can you have a chance to compare the different rates to find the best available price?

It is always a good idea to compare prices every six months because prices go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the lowest price a couple years back you may be paying too much now. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to learn how to quote online to find lower rates on car insurance.

Car Insurance Prices in Standish, Maine

All major car insurance companies allow you to get coverage price quotes directly from their websites. Getting online rates is fairly straightforward as you just enter your required coverages as requested by the quote form. Upon sending the form, their rating system requests your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information determined by many factors.

Being able to quote online helps simplify price comparisons, but the process of having to visit multiple sites and fill out multiple forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it’s very important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find a better rate.

The better way to compare rates

The quickest way to compare rates requires only one form that analyzes rates from more than one company. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes comparison shopping much easier to do. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you are able to buy any one of the quotes returned.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. It can be completed in less than 10 minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

If you want to fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, simply click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you enter the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will have a rate comparison for exact coverage.

Do drivers who switch really save $491 a year?

Companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. All the ads have a common claim of big savings if you switch your policy. How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a preferred risk might be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a short commute. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Drivers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, it is so important to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Save money by taking advantage of these ten discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be inquired about before you will receive the discount.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-1.jpg" alt="Standish Maine auto insurance“/>

  • New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
  • Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle with the same company qualifies for this discount.
  • Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for switching policies before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Discount for Life Insurance – Some companies give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Defensive Driver – Taking a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
  • Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
  • Own a Home – Owning a house in Standish may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will reduce your premiums.

To see a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in Standish, click this link.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique.

For example, these questions may help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Standish?
  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • What are the financial responsibility laws in Maine?
  • Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Maine?
  • What is the minimum liability in Maine?
  • Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Car insurance specifics

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability – Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering, funeral expenses and medical services. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. Maine requires minimum liability limits of 50,000/100,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as driving through your garage door, crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, sideswiping another vehicle and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive insurance – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like rock chips in glass, hail damage, damage from flooding and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for bills such as nursing services, doctor visits, chiropractic care, surgery and pain medications. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

save money concept

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Since many Maine drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (50/100/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Most of the time these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Quote often and quote early

You just read a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with the least-expected company.

Affordable car insurance is available online and with local Standish insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Insureds who switch companies do it for many reasons like poor customer service, denial of a claim, extreme rates for teen drivers and high prices. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Additional car insurance information can be read on the Maine Bureau of Insurance website through this link. Maine consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, view agent and company licensing information, and discover disciplinary actions.