Bozeman, MT Car Insurance For Less Than You’re Paying Now

Tired of trying to scrape together enough money to insure your vehicles every month? You’re in the same situation as many other Montana drivers.

Since consumers have many different company options, it is very difficult to pick the lowest price car insurance company.

This information will let you in on how car insurance quotes work and some tips to save money. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. But Montana car owners need to learn the way companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the items car insurance companies consider when setting prices.

• Liability coverage is cheap – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Extra coverages can waste money – There are a ton of extra coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Things like personal injury protection, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
• Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Careers like doctors, architects and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of stressful work requirements and long work hours. Other professions such as actors, historians and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
• Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
• More miles equals more premium – Driving more miles in a year’s time the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your car insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.

More discounts equal less premium

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but some must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.

• Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
• New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
• Own a Home – Owning a house in Bozeman may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

Your insurance agent down the street

A small number of people would rather get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is especially important in Bozeman.

For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your information is immediately sent to companies in Bozeman who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around since price quotes are sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.

Compare rates from both independent and captive insurance agents

When searching for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. Agents are classified as either captive or independent.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparing rates, we recommend you contact several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.

Below is a short list of independent agents in Bozeman who can help you get rate quotes.

Marie Gary Agency – 1920 W Babcock St – Bozeman, MT 59718 – (406) 586-3330
Lanphear Insurance – 821 W Mendenhall St – Bozeman, MT 59715 – (406) 586-5449
Mc Henry Insurance – 638 Ferguson Ave # 2 – Bozeman, MT 59718 – (406) 586-5075

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents can only write with one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Choosing an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:

• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
• Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?

Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.

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

Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you change your policy. But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a preferred risk might be profiled as over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. This is how insurance companies can make those claims.

This emphasizes why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Additional reading for car insurance information

Additional information can be found on the website for the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. Click here for link. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, report car insurance fraud, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.

Keep this in mind

In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

When shopping online for car insurance, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.