How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Wilton

Nobody I know looks forward to paying for car insurance, particularly when the cost is way too high. Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to compare prices periodically due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you're about to find out the quickest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can learn to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Wilton is easy if you know what you're doing. Maine vehicle owners just need to know the best way to get comparison rates on the web.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

Accident Forgiveness - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
Good Student - Performing well in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
College Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don't have a car may qualify for this discount.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Federal Employees - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better car insurance rates.
Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
Discount for Life Insurance - Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Males pay more for insurance - Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean men are worse drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Careful drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Just one ticket can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Drivers who have dangerous citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Don't sacrifice liability coverage - Your policy's liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Save money with special equipment - Owning a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation will benefit from professional help.

Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Wilton?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and can help protect your family.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Consumers in Maine get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you change to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who fall outside the requirements will have to pay more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That is how companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Additional Maine consumer information

More detailed Maine car insurance information can be found at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view a list of available companies.

In the end, you save

Budget-conscious car insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood Wilton agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

We just presented a lot of information how to reduce car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from the least-expected company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like .