Expert Advice on Paying Less for Lewiston Auto Insurance

Finding the lowest price for Lewiston auto insurance can seem like an uphill battle if you’re new to quoting online. Don’t let that stop you because there is an easy way to compare rates.

If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use this information to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with how to effectively get price quotes. Maine drivers only need to know the most efficient way to shop for auto insurance online.

Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Lewiston, Maine

All major auto insurance companies allow you to get coverage prices on their websites. Obtaining pricing is quite easy as you just type in as detailed in the form. When the form is submitted, their system automatically orders reports for credit and driving violations and returns pricing information based on these factors.

Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time required to go to a lot of sites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it is imperative to perform this step in order to get lower prices.

A quicker way to compare auto insurance pricing is to use a quote form to get prices from a bunch of companies at once. It saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes online shopping much easier to do. As soon as the form is sent, it is quoted with multiple companies and you can pick any of the price quotes you receive.

If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process only takes a few minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, simply click here to open in new window and fill out the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate deductibles and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This ensures you are getting an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.auto insurance image

Are you getting all your discounts?

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Most are applied when you get a quote, but a few need to be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
  • Anti-theft System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Resident Student – Children who are attending college and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.
  • Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your premiums.

To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Lewiston, click here to view.

What impacts Lewiston insurance rates?

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into rates.

  • What type of vehicle do you drive? – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
  • Add-on coverages can add up – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good initially, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
  • Lower rates come with age – Older drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Tickets mean higher rates – Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Only having one citation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have serious citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.

Much more information about auto insurance in Maine can be found on the Maine Bureau of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, learn about specific coverages, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other informative sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this link where you can make Lewiston auto insurance comparisons.

Shop smart and save

Cheap auto insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Lewiston, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

We’ve covered many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a small local company.

As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, someone dropped collision coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.