Top Ways to Save on Bladensburg Car Insurance

Tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in Maryland. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

It's important to compare rates once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal last year you can probably find a better price now. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're going to learn the only way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

Drive less and save money - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder car theft.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even one moving violation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
With age comes lower rates - Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Young drivers have a tendency to be more careless in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
Pay less if you're married - Being married helps lower the price on your policy. It means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as doctors, business owners and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations such as farmers, historians and retirees receive lower rates.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies do not list all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Service Members Pay Less - Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Good Students Pay Less - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Bladensburg, click here to view.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you change to their company.

How can each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay higher prices and ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you should compare many company's rates. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More Maryland car insurance information

Even more information is available at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

A tidy conclusion

As you prepare to switch companies, it's not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

Cheaper car insurance is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Bladensburg agents, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.