Never Compare Great Falls Auto Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Methods

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out.

Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Low Cost Great Falls Auto Insurance

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes from local in Great Falls, MTauto insurance companies. The best way to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

Probably the best way to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This method keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. One simple form gets rate comparisons instantly.
A different way to get quotes online is spending the time to visit the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s assume you want rates from USAA, State Farm and Farmers. You would have to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
To view a list of companies in Great Falls, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use identical coverages for every company. If you use different liability limits it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Great Falls. Having just a slight variation in limits may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that quoting more will enable you to find better pricing.

Ads can be misleading

Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads on television and other media. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings if you move your policy. But how can every company say the same thing?

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be a mature driver, owns a home, and has a short commute. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-58.jpg" alt="lower rates in Great Falls MT” />

Drivers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This illustrates why you should compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Rate influencing factors

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in big savings.

Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are quite a few extra coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in Montana provide better rates to drivers who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
Males pay more for insurance – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.
The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance of the car you are insuring makes a big difference in determining your rates. Low performance passenger vehicles usually have the lowest rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Being married is a good thing – Having a spouse can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Marriage means you’re more responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Poor driving leads to higher costs – Good drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Even one ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.

Discounts are available to cut your rates

Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with a few auto insurance companies.
Student in College – Youth drivers who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts compared to accident-prone drivers.
Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations could trigger savings on your policy.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.

Summing up your auto insurance search

When buying insurance coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Great Falls, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Montana consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, view a list of available companies, and discover disciplinary actions.

Other informative sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this list of agents in Great Falls, MT.