Getting the Cheapest Midland Car Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are lots of people in the same boat.

Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Midland is easy if you know what you're doing. But Maryland consumers do need to know the methods companies use to sell online and apply this information to your search.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Midland

Consumers need to have an understanding of 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 allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine premiums.

Drive a safer car and pay less - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
With age comes lower rates - Older insureds are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
Multiple policies with one company can save - Some companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
Special features that cut premiums - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Marriage brings a discount - Having a spouse helps lower the price when buying car insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied when you quote, but a few need to be asked for prior to getting the savings.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Organization Discounts - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don't have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Midland may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
Use Seat Belts - Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in Midland, follow this link.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big if you change to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's the way companies can claim big savings.

This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Find out more about car insurance

Much more information about car insurance in Maryland can be found on the website for the Maryland Insurance Administration located here. Visitors are able to find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.

Affordable insurance is out there

Discount car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Midland insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.