How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Wheaton

Are you tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other drivers in Maryland. Having so many different company options, it can be hard to find the lowest cost insurance company.

The purpose of this post is to let you in on the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Maryland consumers only need to know the proper way to compare rates online.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Wheaton

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

The list below includes some of the items companies use to determine premiums.

  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing - Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Maryland motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
  • More claims means more premium - Auto insurance companies in Maryland provide discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Careful drivers pay lower rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Bump up deductibles to save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, vandalism, and burglary. The more expense you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Your credit rating is important - A driver's credit rating is a large factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.
  • The more you drive the more you pay - The more you drive every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage.
  • Car features impact rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.

auto insurance in Wheaton

Cheap Wheaton Auto Insurance Comparisons

Reducing your insurance rates is a fairly straight forward process. Consumers just need to take the time to compare rate quotes online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

  1. The fastest way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method keeps you from doing separate forms to each individual auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes from several companies.
  2. A more difficult way to shop for auto insurance online consists of going to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For example, let's assume you want rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Wheaton, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using apples-to-apples coverages on every quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Wheaton.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically when you complete an application, but some may not be applied and must be asked for before they will apply. If you don't get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
  • Good Students Pay Less - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Discount for New Cars - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Maryland, follow this link.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Maryland consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you move to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't qualify for this ideal profile must pay higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

This illustrates why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Maryland Insurance Administration through this link. Maryland consumers can find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, download brochures, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include this page for auto insurance prices in Maryland and this page of Wheaton insurance agents.

And the best car insurance company is...

The cheapest auto insurance is definitely available online and with local Wheaton insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

You just read a lot of information how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .