Proven Ways to Save on Gouldsboro Car Insurance

Are you sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in Maine.

With consumers having so many choices of insurance companies, it's nearly impossible to pick the cheapest company.

It's important to get comparison quotes once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're about to learn how to use online quotes to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Finding the best rates in Gouldsboro is easy if you know what you're doing. If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. But Maine car owners do need to know the way companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies don't list every available discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Anti-theft System - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Payment Method - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
  • Early Switch Discount - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current expiration date. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
  • No Claims - Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to bad drivers.
  • E-sign - Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up online.
  • Driver's Ed - Have your child take driver's ed class if it's offered in school.
  • Seat Belts Save - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Maine, click here to view.

Gouldsboro car insurance quote

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Gouldsboro

Most companies give insurance quotes directly from their websites. The process doesn't take much effort as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their rating system will obtain credit information and your driving record and returns a price based on these and other factors. This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but having to visit several different sites and type in the same information is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get better car insurance pricing.

The preferred way to find cheaper rates utilizes a single form to return rates from several different companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes quoting online a little more enjoyable. As soon as you send your information, your coverage is rated and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it's easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.

If you want to find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter just like they are on your policy. This makes sure you will receive comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into your rates.

  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Many insurers give discounts to policyholders who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder car theft.
  • Women pay lower rates - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but men have costlier accidents. Men also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
  • What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for small economy passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
  • Clean credit earns discounts - Your credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
  • Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations like lawyers, business owners and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates in part from stressful work requirements and long work hours. On the other hand, occupations such as farmers, students and performers pay the least.
  • Pay less after the wedding - Having a spouse can get you a discount on your policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Companies like Allstate and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. All the ads make an identical promise that you'll save big after switching your policy. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who are not a match for this ideal profile will be charged a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can advertise the way they do. That is why drivers must compare many company's rates. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Affordable insurance is out there

When shopping online for car insurance, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Budget-conscious car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Gouldsboro insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

compare Gouldsboro car insurance rates

More detailed Maine car insurance information can be found at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, and learn about specific coverages.

Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com's Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this Gouldsboro agent directory.