Five Minute Guide to Buying Coverage Online for a Mercedes-Benz 400SEL

Drivers have many options when trying to find the lowest priced Mercedes-Benz 400SEL insurance. You can either spend your time calling around to get rate comparisons or utilize the internet to make rate comparisons.

There are both good and bad ways to compare auto insurance rates and you need to know the proper way to quote coverages for a new or used Mercedes-Benz and obtain the lowest possible price either online or from local insurance agents.

It’s a good idea to shop coverage around before your policy renews due to the fact that insurance rates trend upward over time. If you had the lowest rates for 400SEL insurance on your last policy you will most likely find a better rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to one of the best ways to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

If you have car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. The purpose of this article is to instruct you on how car insurance quotes work. Although consumers can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

Mercedes-Benz 400SEL premiums are determined by many factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

• Males pay more for insurance – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. Both sexes are in accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
• Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Occupations such as doctors, business owners and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average attributed to high stress and long work hours. On the flip side, occupations such as pilots, athletes and homemakers pay the least for 400SEL insurance.
• An active claims history can cost you – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies award lower rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates. If your Mercedes-Benz 400SEL is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it is probably cheaper to insure.
• Poor credit can mean higher rates – Having a bad credit history is a big factor in determining your rates. If your credit is not that good, you could save money insuring your Mercedes-Benz 400SEL by repairing your credit. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
• Liability coverage protects you – Liability insurance provides coverage when you are found liable for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.

Cut your premium with discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before you get the savings.

• Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Accident Waiver – A few companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
• Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
• Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles on your Mercedes-Benz could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Senior Citizens – Mature drivers may qualify for better auto insurance rates for 400SEL insurance.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

To see a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts, click here to view.

What about my local agents?

Some people prefer to sit down with an agent. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local insurance agencies is definitely important if you live in a smaller city or town.

After completing this short form, the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

The difference between insurance agents

When researching a good insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies from which to choose. Agencies can either be captive or independent.

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices. They often place coverage with different regional companies which can save you money.

Agency Captives

This type of agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents primarily because of loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.

To view a complete directory of agencies, visit this page.

Deciding on an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?

After getting good answers to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to save on Mercedes-Benz 400SEL insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company.

People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, not issuing a premium refund, poor customer service or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.