Proven Techniques for Comparing the Cheapest Gaithersburg, MD Car Insurance

Are you tired of being strong-armed to buy car insurance? You are no different than many other Maryland drivers. Having so many online and local companies to choose from, it can be hard to choose the lowest price provider.

It’s smart to take a look at other company’s rates yearly because prices tend to go up over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. Starting now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the fastest and easiest way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Buying car insurance in Gaithersburg is not rocket science. If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can use this information to reduce the price you pay and still get good coverage. Maryland consumers only need an understanding of the proper methods to find the lowest price online.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Gaithersburg

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can be a daunting task if you don’t know the most efficient way. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in Gaithersburg, or you can utilize the web to quickly compare rates.

Most of the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each participating company then gives them pricing determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions to each company. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose which carriers you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we have a listing of companies who write car insurance in Maryland. View list of Maryland insurance companies.

Whichever way you use, be sure to compare apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you use different values for each quote it’s impossible to determine the lowest rate in Gaithersburg.

Companies offer discounts so take them!

Companies don’t always publicize every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
• No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
• No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
• Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• Clubs and Organizations – Participating in certain professional organizations may earn a discount on car insurance.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.

To see a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates in Maryland, click this link.

Why you might pay higher rates in Gaithersburg

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

• You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies in Maryland generally give discounts to drivers who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is illegal and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Maryland department of motor vehicles.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – The majority of insurers provide better rates to policyholders who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
• A clean driving record saves money – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one ticket may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers with dangerous tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates are for small economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Mature drivers pay less – More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teen drivers tend to get distracted easily when driving and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
• Men pay higher rates – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage. Men also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and thus pay the highest rates.
• Clean credit earns discounts – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. So if your credit is low, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
• Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
• Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
• What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

More detailed Maryland car insurance information can be read at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Maryland drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.

Do you really save 40% when you switch?

Consumers in Maryland get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make the same claim that you’ll save big if you switch to their company.

How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who fall outside these standards will be quoted higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings. This emphasizes why drivers must compare many company’s rates. You cannot predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Better coverage you can count on

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to get a better price on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.

Lower-priced car insurance can be found both online and with local Gaithersburg insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.