6 Ways to Pay Lower Car Insurance Prices in Wolf Point, Montana

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparing price quotes is a great way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.

Companies like Progressive, State Farm and GEICO continually bombard you with catchy ads and it can be hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Wolf Point

There are a variety of methods you can shop for car insurance and some are less time-consuming than others. You can spend countless hours discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Wolf Point, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Most car insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to submit one quote, and every company returns a competitive quote determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests to every company.

To access this free quoting program, click here to open in new window.

The only drawback to doing it this way is you cannot specify which companies to get quotes from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a page of low cost car insurance companies in Montana. Click here to view list.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to find the best deal in Wolf Point. Slightly different limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. It’s important to know that comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find the best rates.

Don’t believe everything you hear

GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who do not match the “perfect” profile must pay more money and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why companies can claim big savings.

This illustrates why you absolutely need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

How insurance companies determine rates

It’s important that you understand the factors that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better car insurance rates.

The following are some of the factors used by your company to calculate premiums.

• Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and term life insurance are some examples. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
• Men fork out a little more – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
• Where you reside plays a part – Being located in small towns and rural areas can save you money when buying car insurance. City drivers tend to have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
• Protect your assets with liability insurance – The liability section of your policy provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• How’s your driving record? – Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
• Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you.
• Older drivers pay less – Youthful drivers in Montana are known to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
• Optional equipment can affect rates – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.

Cut your car insurance rates with discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but some must be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit.

• Distant Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
• Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive better car insurance rates.
• Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
• Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
• Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a driver safety course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy life insurance.

Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent

Certain consumers would rather get advice from a local agent. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from local agencies is important especially in Wolf Point.

After completing this form (opens in new window), your information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Wolf Point who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Do you need an independent or captive insurance agent?

If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, there are two types of insurance agents from which to choose. Wolf Point agents are either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.

The following are independent agents in Wolf Point that may be able to provide rate quotes.

Gary J Johnson Insurance – 508 Blaine St – Wolf Point, MT 59201 – (406) 653-2310
Squires Insurance – 406 Main St – Wolf Point, MT 59201 – (406) 653-1460

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents work for only one company like American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Captives are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.

Shown below are Wolf Point captive insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 513 Blaine St – Wolf Point, MT 59201 – (406) 653-3402

To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Wolf Point, visit this site.

Selecting a car insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Here are some questions to ask:

• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• How are they compensated?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• How often do they review policy coverages?

Once you have positive feedback in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that is a good match to service your policy.

Summing up your car insurance search

In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance found here. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and view a list of available companies.