How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Parkton

Nobody I know likes having to buy car insurance, especially when the cost is way too high.

Because you have many online and local companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the lowest cost company.

Finding Car Insurance in Parkton, MD

Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be challenging if you don't know the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend your day talking to insurance agencies in Parkton, or you could save time and use online quotes to get the quickest rates.

All the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and every company returns a rated price based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to using this type of form is you are unable to specify which companies you want pricing from. If you would rather choose specific providers to compare, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Maryland. View list of Maryland insurance companies.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverages with each company. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it's not possible to make an equal comparison in Parkton. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in large price differences. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more company's prices provides better odds of finding lower pricing.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand the rating factors that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Lower deductibles cost more - Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - The majority of car insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Frequent car insurance claims increase rates - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Maryland give discounts to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
Better credit scores mean better rates - A driver's credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, buy you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Auto/Home Discount - When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Federal Employees - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Braking Control Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.

For a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Maryland, click this link.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Am I getting all the discounts available?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Maryland Insurance Administration located here. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, read consumer alerts, download brochures, and find out industry alerts.

Other useful links include this page for Maryland car insurance and this page for help finding agents in Parkton, MD.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Cheaper car insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Parkton insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies do not provide online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, an insured cut physical damage coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.