Best 8 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in Skowhegan, ME

Sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to buy car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Maine. Drivers have multiple car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, having more insurers makes it harder to adequately compare rates.

These eight discounts can slash car insurance rates

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Theft Prevention System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Skowhegan may earn you a small savings because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a set time period.
55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will bring down your premiums.

For a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Maine, click here to view.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Do I need higher deductibles?
I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
What are the financial responsibility laws in Maine?
Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Car insurance coverages 101

Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverages available from car insurance companies.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage. Skowhegan auto insurance

Due to the fact that many Maine drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 50/100/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Usually the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability insurance

Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage protects against things such as court costs, medical expenses, funeral expenses and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Maine state law requires minimum liability limits of 50,000/100,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.

Comprehensive car insurance

This coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, fire damage, hitting a bird and vandalism. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Coverage for medical expenses

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like dental work, X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices and surgery. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as scraping a guard rail, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Consumer car insurance information in Maine

Additional car insurance information is available on the website for the Maine Bureau of Insurance through this link. Maine consumers can report car insurance fraud, learn about insurance regulations, and view a list of available companies.

In the end, you save

We just showed you a lot of tips how to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Progressive and GEICO.

Discount car insurance can be bought on the web as well as from independent agents in Skowhegan, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies don’t offer online quoting and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut full coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.