7 Must-Know Tricks When Shopping for Bladensburg Maryland Car Insurance
Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to cut your insurance bill. Popular companies such as Allstate and Progressive increase brand awareness with advertising and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.
You should take the time to take a look at other company’s rates once or twice a year because insurance rates tend to go up over time. Just because you found the best price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you some proven techniques to slash your car insurance rates.
If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding the best rates in Bladensburg is not that difficult. Maryland vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to shop for car insurance over the internet.
Comprehensive Bladensburg Car Insurance Comparison
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is not rocket science. The only requirement is to invest a little time to compare quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- One of the simplest ways to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for a different quote for each company you want a rate for. One form gets you coverage quotes direct from many companies.
- A more time consuming way to find lower rates is to manually visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want to compare Nationwide, Allstate and Progressive. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Bladensburg, click here.
- The least efficient way to compare rates is to drive around to and from local Bladensburg insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the professional advice only provided by licensed Bladensburg agents. It is possible to compare the best prices online but buy from a local insurance agent. We’ll cover that shortly.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just compare identical coverage limits on every quote you get. If you compare mixed coverages it will be impossible to determine the lowest rate in Bladensburg.
Discounts are available to cut your rates
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list every available discount very clearly, so we break down some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-36.jpg" alt="Bladensburg insurance quotes” />
- Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
- Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
- College Student – Any of your kids who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Bladensburg can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
For a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Bladensburg, follow this link.
Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent
Certain consumers would rather get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Bladensburg who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How’s that for easy!
Choosing an insurance company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
If you wish to view a list of agents in Bladensburg to contact, please view this page.
Once you have received satisfactory answers to your questions and an acceptable price quote, you have narrowed it down to a company that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Maryland consumers can download brochures, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and file complaints about a company.
Best coverage at the best price
We just covered some good ideas how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.