Popular Strategies for Buying Auburn Maine Auto Insurance at a Discount

Using the web to shop for Auburn auto insurance can be a challenge if you’re new to online price comparisons. But don’t let that discourage you because online price shopping is actually quite simple.

Smart consumers take time to compare prices quite often because insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you had the best deal last year you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the quickest way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate premiums.

Pay less if you’re married – Being married helps lower the price on your auto insurance policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
A clean driving record saves money – Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Do men or women drive better? – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
With age comes lower rates – Youthful drivers in Maine are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a teen driver to your auto insurance policy can break the bank. Older drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.

Discounts are available to cut your rates

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise all their discounts very well, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
E-sign – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing on their website.
No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates in Maine, follow this link.

Car Insurance through a local agent

Some consumers would rather talk to a local agent and that is OK! The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent.

By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents in Auburn who will battle to get your business. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You’ll get the best rates and a licensed agent to work with. insurance quote Auburn ME

Choosing a company should depend on more than just the price. These questions are important to ask:

What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?

If you wish to view licensed agents in Auburn, please view this page.

Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction and a good coverage price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance company that will adequately provide auto insurance.

Buyer beware of auto insurance advertising tricks

Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big after switching your policy. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who do not match the “perfect” profile must pay higher prices which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

These are some specific questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.

Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.

More detailed Maine auto insurance information can be read at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Maine drivers can get help finding coverage, download brochures, read industry bulletins, and view agent and company licensing information.

Best coverage at the best price

You just learned many ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small local company.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, poor customer service, delays in responding to claim requests or even high prices. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while still protecting your assets.