Follow These Proven Techniques for Cheaper Hagerstown, MD Auto Insurance

Saving money on Hagerstown auto insurance is challenging for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. People have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become a big hassle to find lower rates in Hagerstown.

If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use this information to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Pricing more affordable coverage in Hagerstown can be fairly easy. Maryland consumers only need an understanding of the tricks to find the lowest price online.

Discounts are available to cut your rates

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

College Student – Any of your kids who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy before your current expiration date. It’s a savings of about 10%.
Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can save you money because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.

How to Get Hagerstown Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You could waste time driving to insurance companies in Hagerstown, or you could save time and use the internet to get pricing more quickly.

Most major companies belong to an insurance system that enables customers to submit their information once, and every company returns a competitive quote based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.

The single downside to using this type of system is you can’t choose the companies to get pricing from. If you would rather choose specific providers for rate comparison, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in Maryland. Click here for list of insurance companies in Maryland.

Whichever method you choose, make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverage information for each price quote. If the quotes have different liability limits it’s impossible to find the best deal in Hagerstown.

What determines how much you pay?

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs. price insurance in Maryland

Add-on coverages can add up – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, accidental death and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea initially, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
Where you reside plays a part – Living in a small town is a positive aspect when talking about auto insurance. City drivers regularly have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Fewer people means fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
Performance makes a difference – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Small economy passenger vehicles receive the most favorable rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Never go without insurance – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a fast way to increase your auto insurance rates. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Maryland motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
How credit affects auto insurance rates – A driver’s credit rating is a big factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower ratings. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating.

Comparing rates from local agents

A small number of people prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. Educated insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local agencies is important especially in Hagerstown.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to participating agents in Hagerstown who will battle for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier!

Different types of insurance agents in Hagerstown

If you’re trying to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Hagerstown agents are either captive or independent. Both types can do a good job, but it’s important to know how they are different because it can impact buying decisions.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, we recommend you include at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with different regional companies which may provide better rates.

Below is a list of independent agencies in Hagerstown willing to provide rate quotes.

Parlato Agency Inc – 17613 Virginia Ave – Hagerstown, MD 21740 – (301) 797-7500
Brethren Mutual Insurance Co – 149 N Edgewood Dr – Hagerstown, MD 21740 – (301) 739-0950
United American Insurance Co – 13622 Overhill Dr – Hagerstown, MD 21742 – (301) 733-9632

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents mostly because of loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.

The following are Hagerstown captive agencies who can help you get price quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 1466 S Potomac St # A – Hagerstown, MD 21740 – (301) 733-4400
State Farm Insurance – 63 W Franklin St – Hagerstown, MD 21740 – (301) 791-3384

To view a full list of captive insurance agencies in Hagerstown, please click here.

Selecting an insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
How are they compensated?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?

After getting positive feedback to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to provide auto insurance coverage.

Quote often and quote early

Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including questionable increases in premium, delays in paying claims, lack of trust in their agent and even denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.

While you’re price shopping online, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Affordable auto insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to many Hagerstown insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

More information about auto insurance

Additional information is available on the Maryland Insurance Administration website located here. Maryland consumers can report car insurance fraud, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.