Tightwads Lessons for Saving on Cut Bank, MT Car Insurance

Saving money on Cut Bank car insurance is a challenge for beginners to shopping for insurance online. There are so many options available that it can turn into a challenge to find lower rates in Cut Bank.

Consumers need to price shop coverage every six months because insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates two years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to show you the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you can use this information to find the best rates and still get good coverage. This article will help educate you on the best way to quote coverages and some money-saving tips. Montana consumers only need to know the proper way to get comparison quotes over the internet.

Cut Bank Car Insurance Quote Comparison

Finding a lower price on insurance is a fairly straight forward process. The only requirement is to invest a few minutes comparing price quotes online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

• One of the simplest ways to get quotes for comparison is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating a different quote for every car insurance company. A single, simple form will return price quotes from all major companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
• A more time consuming way to obtain and compare quotes online is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want rates from Auto-Owners, Liberty Mutual and American Family. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Cut Bank, click here.

Whichever method you choose, double check that you are using apples-to-apples information for every company. If you are comparing different liability limits it will be impossible to determine the best price in Cut Bank.

Do drivers who switch really save?

Consumers in Montana can’t get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big if you change to them.

How do they all claim to save you money?

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Consumers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. You cannot predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Why your price might be higher

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

The following are some of the items that factor into rates.

• Pay less if you’re married – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price on your policy. Marriage usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that married couples file fewer claims.
• Where you live – Being located in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when it comes to car insurance. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large Montana cities have to deal with congested traffic and longer commute times. More time on the road can result in more accidents.
• What are your deductibles? – Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and burglary. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Pleasure use saves money – Driving more miles every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies rate vehicles based on their usage. Cars that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
• Is your vehicle built for speed? – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. Low performance passenger vehicles usually have the lowest rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Better credit means lower rates – A driver’s credit score is a important factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit.
• Policy add-ons can waste money – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy on your car insurance policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and membership fees are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.

Cut your car insurance rates with discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Student in College – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
• Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
• Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Club Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will cut your premiums.

To choose insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Cut Bank, follow this link.

Final considerations

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies.

Budget-conscious car insurance can be found both online and with local Cut Bank insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice full coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price.

Much more information about car insurance in Montana is located on the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website found here. Montana consumers can read industry bulletins, download brochures, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Other informative sites include this page for car insurance prices in Montana and QuoteClickSave.com.