Uncover Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Livingston, MT Car Insurance

Finding the lowest cost Livingston car insurance online may be problematic for people who are new to price shopping online. Because there are so many insurers available, how can anyone effectively compare the different rates to find the lowest price?

Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates once or twice a year because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the best rates last year there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn how to use the internet to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

How to Compare Car Insurance in Livingston

There are multiple methods you can shop for car insurance but one way is less time-consuming than others. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Livingston, or you can utilize online quoting for quick rates.

All the larger companies enroll in a system that enables customers to complete one form, and every company provides a quote determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions to each company.

To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.

The single downside to using this type of form is that you can’t choose which carriers you want to price. If you would rather choose individual companies to compare, we have a listing of low cost car insurance companies in Montana. Click here for list of insurance companies in Montana.

Whichever way you use, ensure you’re using identical coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you enter higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to make an equal comparison in Livingston.

Don’t miss these discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but a few need to be inquired about prior to getting the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
• Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application on their website.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
• Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
• Safety Course Discount – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will reduce your overall premium however.

Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine premiums.

• Having a spouse can save you money – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse means you’re more responsible and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Add-on coverages can add up – There are many add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
• What are your deductibles? – Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more expense you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
• Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
• Where you live can impact rates – Living in a small town has it’s advantages when talking about car insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers have congested traffic and a longer drive to work. More time commuting means higher likelihood of an accident.
• Credit scores impact car insurance rates – Credit rating is a large factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
• Always keep insurance in force – Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Montana motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Consumers in Montana get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you change to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t measure up to these standards must pay higher prices which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

This illustrates why it is so important to get as many comparisons as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Keep this in mind

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with the smaller companies.

As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In too many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate.

Affordable car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Livingston insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

More information is located on the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website through this link. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, download brochures, and read industry bulletins.