Top 7 Ways to Pay Less on Car Insurance in Monterey

No one in their right mind looks forward to paying for car insurance, especially when the cost is way too high.

Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive persitently shower you with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

Finding Car Insurance Deals in Monterey, VA

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from different Monterey insurance companies. The recommended way to find the lowest rates consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing separate quote forms to each individual car insurance company. A single form will get you price quotes from many national carriers.

A different way to compare rate quotes requires a visit to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For example, we'll pretend you want to compare , and . To find out each rate you need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Monterey, click here.

The least efficient method of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to different Monterey agent offices. The internet makes this process obsolete unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed Monterey agents. You can, however, compare the best prices online and still use a local agent and we'll cover that in a bit.

Which method you use is up to you, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverage limits on every quote. If you have differing limits you can't possibly make a fair comparison in Monterey. Just a small difference in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that more quotes will improve the odds of getting better pricing.

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but a few need to be inquired about before they will apply.

Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
Theft Prevention System - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Federal Employees - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
Discount for Swiching Early - Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.

For a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates in Monterey, follow this link.

How to know if you need help

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a "perfect" insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance found here. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, find disaster information, and download brochures.

Affordable insurance is out there

Cheap car insurance is attainable from both online companies and with local Monterey insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it's a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.