8 Discounts Dillon Shoppers Forget when Shopping for Car Insurance

Finding the lowest price for Dillon car insurance can be difficult if you’ve never compared online quotes. But don’t let that discourage you because it’s actually quite easy.

It’s a good idea to price shop coverage at least once a year because rates are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the lowest rates a couple years back other companies may now be cheaper. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to show you one of the easiest ways to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

Save money by taking advantage of these eight discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize all their discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known car insurance savings.

• Good Student Discount – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive reduced rates.
• Club Memberships – Belonging to a professional or civic organization may earn a discount on car insurance.
• New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.

To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Dillon, click this link.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different.

These are some specific questions may help you determine if your situation could use an agent’s help.

• Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
• Who is covered by my policy?
• What are the financial responsibility laws in Montana?
• How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Can switching companies really save?

Progressive, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies make an identical promise that you’ll save big after switching to their company. How can each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher rates which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That is how companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, find out which companies have the most complaints, and download brochures.

Coverage specifics

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability – This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability insurance covers things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Montana requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

Comprehensive coverages – This coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as falling objects, a broken windshield, hail damage, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The most your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for things like driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Coverage for medical payments – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for immediate expenses like surgery, hospital visits, nursing services and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Since many Montana drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/10 in Montana), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Quote often and quote early

People change insurance companies for many reasons like poor customer service, policy non-renewal, high prices or delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company is less work than it seems.

When shopping online for car insurance, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you many tips how you can save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company.