Is Your Kennebunk, ME Auto Insurance Too High? Save with These Tips

Shopping for the most affordable Kennebunk auto insurance on the internet may be somewhat difficult for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. When there are so many insurers to choose from, how can Kennebunk drivers possibly compare the different rates to find the lowest rates?

You should make it a habit to compare prices every six months since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best deal two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get the easiest ways to buy auto insurance cheaper.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Kennebunk

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

• Special features that cut premiums – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping auto theft.
• High credit ratings translate to low rates – Credit score is a huge factor in determining your rates. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit.
• Proper usage rating affects rates – The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.
• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance level of the car you drive makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The lowest base rates are usually for low performance passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Older drivers save more – Youthful drivers in Maine tend to be more careless when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Having to add a young driver onto a policy can break the bank. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
• Multi-policy discounts can save money – Most companies will give a discount to customers who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal.
• Your location affects your rates – Living in a rural area can save you money when talking about auto insurance. Lower population means fewer accidents. Urban drivers have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
• Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a guaranteed way to bump up your auto insurance costs. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a license revocation or jail time.You may need to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Maine motor vehicle department.

Auto Insurance Comparison Rates in Kennebunk

Finding lower Kennebunk auto insurance rates doesn’t have to be difficult. Drivers just need to take the time comparing rate quotes online with multiple companies. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

1. The recommended way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This form saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for each company. A single form gets you coverage quotes from all major companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
2. A more difficult way to find lower rates requires you to visit the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want rates from GEICO, Progressive and Liberty Mutual. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

   For a handy list of car insurance company links in Kennebunk, click here.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing exactly the same quote information with every price quote. If you have mixed coverages you can’t possibly make a fair comparison in Kennebunk.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Auto insurance companies do not advertise all available discounts very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

• Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
• Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
• Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
• Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
• Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.

To choose insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Kennebunk, click here to view.

Even more information can be read at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, find disaster information, file complaints about a company, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other informative sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this page of insurance agents in Kennebunk.

In the end, you save

The cheapest auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many Kennebunk insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in paying claims or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new auto insurance company is easier than you think.