7 Shopping Tips Guaranteed to Slash the Cost of Auto Insurance Costs in Columbia Falls

Comparing Columbia Falls auto insurance rates online can seem complicated if you have never used quoting online. But relax because there is an easy way to compare rates.

This information will help educate you on how to get online quotes and some tips to save money. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Montana consumers just need to understand the best way to compare prices online.

Don’t overlook these seven discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags can get savings of more than 20%.
• Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Club Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on your policy.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
• Resident Student – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will reduce your premiums.

For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Columbia Falls, follow this link.

Do you really save 40% when you switch?

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing that you can save if you change to their company.

But how can every company make the same claim?

Different companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be charged higher rates which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

That is why drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It’s not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Auto insurance coverages 101

Learning about specific coverages of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/10), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Most of the time these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Collision protection

This pays for damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for liability

Liability coverage can cover damage that occurs to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things like structural damage, loss of income, court costs and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Montana state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for ambulance fees, dental work, hospital visits, surgery and funeral costs. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a deer, a broken windshield, hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Additional information is located on the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Click here for link. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, view agent and company licensing information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and discover disciplinary actions.

Quote often and quote early

Cheaper auto insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents in Columbia Falls, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best price.

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to shop for auto insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.