Free Guide to Spending Less for Columbia Falls Car Insurance Online

I can't think of anyone who cherishes buying car insurance, especially when their premiums are too high.

Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have multiple companies, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices periodically because rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate one of the best ways to buy cheaper car insurance.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance.

New Car Discount - Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Good Student - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
College Student - Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Multiple Vehicles - Having multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

The following are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.

Older drivers pay less - Young drivers in Maine are known to be more careless behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Adding a teen driver onto a policy can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
How's your driving record? - Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have flagrant citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Men pay higher rates - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.

It's not one size fits all

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a best way to insure your cars. Every insured's situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you might need an agent's assistance.

Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Maine?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Columbia Falls?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. A customer who matches those parameters will get very good rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who do not match these standards will have to pay more money which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That is how insurance companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, drivers should get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which company will have the lowest rates.

Additional Maine consumer information

Additional detailed information is located at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Final considerations

While you're price shopping online, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

We just showed you some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as .

Affordable car insurance can be bought from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Columbia Falls, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.