Comparing Cheap Columbia Car Insurance

Are you tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other drivers in Maryland.

Consumers have many to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to compare rates.

Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Columbia

Comparing car insurance rates can take hours if you don't know the most efficient way to do it. You could spend your day driving to insurance agencies in Columbia, or you can utilize online quotes to achieve your goal.

All the larger companies belong to an insurance system that enables customers to submit one quote, and each company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The only downside to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to select specific providers to compare, we have assembled a list of low cost car insurance companies in Maryland. Click here for list of insurance companies in Maryland.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using identical coverages and limits with every price quote. If you use different deductibles it will be impossible to find the best deal in Columbia. Just a small difference in limits may result in a large different in cost. It's important to know that getting more free quotes helps locate a lower rate.

You have some control over your rates

It's important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in lower car insurance prices.

  • Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability insurance will protect you if you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
  • How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers with serious tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Are you male or female? - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Women and men cause accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • The more you drive the more you pay - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Being married can actually save you money when buying car insurance. Having a spouse means you're more mature and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common and the more hidden car insurance savings.

  • Club Memberships - Belonging to a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
  • Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
  • Good Students Pay Less - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies permit an accident without raising rates so long as you haven't had any claims prior to the accident.
  • New Car Discount - Insuring a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

For a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Maryland, follow this link.

Additional detailed information is available at the Maryland Insurance Administration website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.

compare Columbia car insurance rates

Affordable insurance is out there

Affordable car insurance is available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Columbia agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies may not provide online quoting and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with an unexpected company. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as .