Auto Insurance in Forsyth, MT – 6 Tricks to Lower Rates

Purchasing the most affordable Forsyth auto insurance online can be intimidating for consumers new to shopping for insurance online. When there are so many online companies, how can you effectively compare every one to find the best price?

It’s a great practice to price shop coverage periodically because rates change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you the best ways to find cheap auto insurance.

Compare Auto Insurance Today

Most companies allow you to get prices on the web. Getting online rates is pretty easy as you just enter your required coverages into the quote form. Behind the scenes, their rating system orders your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information.

Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to a lot of sites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s very important to perform this step in order to get the lowest possible prices on auto insurance.

There is a better way to compare rates

An easier way to compare rates is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from more than one company. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you can select your choice of the returned quotes.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and you’ll know if lower rates are available.

If you want to compare pricing, click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate coverages and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will have comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Buyer beware of auto insurance advertising tricks

Montana consumers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings by companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you move to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a profitable customer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who do not match the requirements will be quoted higher prices which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. This is how companies can make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Save money by taking advantage of these six discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few need to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don’t get every credit available, you are throwing money away.

• Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Club Memberships – Affiliation with a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Forsyth, follow this link.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When it comes to choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For example, these questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from professional advice.

• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
• Should I buy additional glass protection?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Montana?
• Does my vehicle need full coverage?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Car insurance coverage information

Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as prosthetic devices, EMT expenses, nursing services, pain medications and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive protection – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like fire damage, hitting a deer, vandalism and a broken windshield. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many Montana drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 25/50/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Liability – This will cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers claims like emergency aid, medical expenses, funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Montana state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.

Collision – This pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a building, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Best coverage at the best price

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with a small local company.

Insureds switch companies for many reasons like denial of a claim, high prices, not issuing a premium refund or even policy cancellation. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new auto insurance company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

Affordable auto insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Forsyth, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Montana auto insurance information

More information can be read on the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website located here. Montana drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, learn about specific coverages, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.