Tightwads Guide to Saving on Havre De Grace Auto Insurance

If you’ve never shopped for auto insurance online, you may be overwhelmed because of the huge number of online companies vying for business in Havre De Grace.

Finding Auto Insurance in Havre De Grace, MD

Most major insurance companies allow you to get prices on the web. This process is pretty easy as you simply enter the coverage amounts you desire into the quote form. Once entered, the system will order your driving and credit reports and gives you a price quote determined by many factors.

Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this in order to find better auto insurance pricing.

The easiest way to compare auto insurance pricing utilizes a single form to obtain quotes from several companies at one time. It saves time, eliminates form submissions, and makes quoting online a lot less work. As soon as you send your information, it gets priced and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive.

If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and may result in a nice savings.

If you want to find out what other companies charge, click here and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you type in the coverage information just like they are on your policy. This makes sure you will receive rate comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Car insurance is not cheap, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be asked about before they will apply. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
Memberships – Being a member of a qualifying organization could trigger savings when buying auto insurance.
Passive Restraints – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
Senior Citizens – Older drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education in high school.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

To see a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Maryland, click here.

Decisions you make can impact your rates

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine rates.

Being married can save on auto insurance – Having a spouse helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Your stress level may be raising your rates – Occupations such as real estate brokers, social workers and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of high stress and long work hours. Conversely, professions such as scientists, engineers and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Men fork out a little more – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are many additional coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Things like personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts – Most insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Do you know you’re credit rating? – Your credit rating is a big factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit. If your credit can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score.

What happened to insurance agents?

Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting local businesses is especially important in Havre De Grace.

By using this form (opens in new window), your information is instantly submitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! Havre De Grace Maryland car insurance

Auto insurance agents in Havre De Grace come in two varieties

When finding a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents from which to choose. Havre De Grace agents are either captive or independent. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn how they are different because it can influence buying decisions.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices. They often place coverage with smaller companies who may have lower rates.

Shown below are independent agencies in Havre De Grace that are able to give price quotes.

Maryland Insurance Inc – 626 Revolution St – Havre De Grace, MD 21078 – (410) 939-9561
ENI Insurance Svc – 626 Revolution St – Havre De Grace, MD 21078 – (410) 272-3003

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents work for only one company and some examples include American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

The following is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Havre De Grace that can give you rate quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 104 N Washington St – Havre De Grace, MD 21078 – (410) 939-1881

For a complete listing of captive agents in Havre De Grace, go to this page.

Selecting an insurance agent requires more thought than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:

Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?

Upon receiving reasonable responses for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance.

Situations that might require an agent

When buying proper insurance coverage, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
Is Maryland a no-fault state?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Additional auto insurance information is located on the Maryland Insurance Administration website found here. Maryland drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about a company.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Maryland consumers constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings from the likes of 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you switch your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters will get very good rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t qualify for these standards will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Online plus local equals savings

In this article, we presented many tips how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

Discount auto insurance is available from both online companies in addition to many Havre De Grace insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.