Tightwads Guide to Saving on Smithsburg Car Insurance

Have you had enough of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in Maryland. Since consumers have many companies and agents to choose from, it is very difficult to choose the cheapest car insurance company.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Smithsburg

Most major insurance companies provide insurance quotes on their websites. The process doesn't take much effort as you just enter the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. Behind the scenes, their rating system will obtain reports for credit and driving violations and returns a price quote determined by many factors. This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the process of having to visit a lot of sites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to do this if you want to find a lower rate.

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates utilizes a single form to get prices from a bunch of companies at once. It's a real time-saver, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it gets priced and you can select any or none of the returned quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

If you want to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you input deductibles and limits as close as possible to your current policy. This way, you will receive a fair comparison based on similar coverages.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

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

  • Liability coverage is cheap - Liability coverage will protect you if you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Older drivers save more - Young drivers in Maryland are known to get distracted easily in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in your rates. The lowest rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger vehicles, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
  • Clean credit earns discounts - A driver's credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit rating is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance companies in Maryland provide discounts to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount - Many 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. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.

More discounts equal less premium

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but a few need to be inquired about before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit available, you're just leaving money on the table.

  • Club Memberships - Belonging to a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
  • Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Early Switch Discount - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates 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 who offer car insurance discounts in Maryland, follow this link.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Maryland Insurance Administration located here. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and learn about specific coverages.

Other useful links include this link for Maryland car insurance quotes and this link which helps you find a Smithsburg agent.

compare Smithsburg car insurance rates

Best coverage at the best price

Cheaper car insurance can be bought from both online companies in addition to many Smithsburg insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.