Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Columbia Falls Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the dozens of auto insurance company choices in Columbia Falls? Lot's of other consumers are too. You have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to find better rates.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates every six months because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a few years ago you may be paying too much now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance on the internet, so we're going to give you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Columbia Falls, Montana

Most major insurance companies provide coverage prices online. Getting online rates is pretty painless as you simply enter the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company's rating system will obtain reports for credit and driving violations and returns pricing information.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to do this if you want to find better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to lower your rates uses one simple form to return rates from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online much more efficient. After sending the form, it gets priced and you can choose any or none of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you'll know if lower rates are available.

To save time and find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and begin entering your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you input coverages and limits identical to your current policy. This way, you will receive rate comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Columbia Falls Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It's important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Discounts for multiple policies - Most companies give discounts to customers who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to shop around to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
Traffic violations increase rates - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single citation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are many extra coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Things like rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money remove them from your policy.
Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in Montana are statistically proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
The type of vehicle makes a difference - The performance level of the car you drive makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for low performance passenger vehicles, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies that sell car insurance don't necessarily list every available discount very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you don't get every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Homeowners Discount - Being a homeowner may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching policies before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
Defensive Driver - Completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
Discount for New Cars - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Montana, follow this link.

Even more information is located at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Montana consumers can read consumer alerts, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about a company.

Other useful links include BankRate.com's Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this Columbia Falls agent directory.

A tidy conclusion

As you shop your coverage around, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed collision coverage and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Cheap auto insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood Columbia Falls agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers may not provide online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

In this article, we presented many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.