New Tricks for Cutting Costs on on Roundup Car Insurance

Perplexed by the number of car insurance companies in Roundup? Lot’s of other consumers are too. You have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become a ton of work to find the lowest price.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using this strategy. Buying affordable protection in Roundup is quite easy. But Montana vehicle owners do need to know how insurance companies price insurance differently.

How to Compare Roundup Car Insurance Rates

Comparing car insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a lot of time driving to local insurance agents in Roundup, or you can utilize online quotes to achieve your goal.

Many of the larger companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers send in one quote, and each participating company can give them a price. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company.

To find out how much you can save on car insurance click here (opens in new window).

The one downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly which companies to get pricing from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare, we have assembled a list of low cost car insurance companies in Montana. Click here to view list.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples information for each price quote. If you enter unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to find the best deal in Roundup. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. And when comparison shopping, comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding the best offered rates.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but some must be specially asked for before being credited.

Senior Discount – Mature drivers may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose providers with discount car insurance rates in Montana, click here to view.

Compare online but buy from a local Roundup agent

Some consumers just want to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local businesses is important particularly in Roundup.

Upon completion of this short form, the coverage information gets sent to companies in Roundup who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates AND a local agent.

Pick the best insurance agent in Roundup for you

If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Roundup are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to contact at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices. They often place coverage with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.

The following is a list of independent agencies in Roundup that may be able to provide rate quotes.

Key Insurance – 437 Main St – Roundup, MT 59072 – (406) 323-2055

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only place business with one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes choose to use a captive agent partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Choosing a car insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
How are claims handled?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?

Once you have received acceptable answers and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an insurance agency that is a good match to adequately provide car insurance.

Car insurance is unique, just like you

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique.

For instance, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
What are the best liability limits?
Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Montana?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Better credit means lower rates – Credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Bundling policies can get discounts – Some companies will give a discount to insureds who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
Your occupation can affect rates – Occupations such as lawyers, executives and accountants tend to have higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as actors, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.
Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Not having insurance can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Montana DMV.
Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can buy on your car insurance policy. Coverages for personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads make the same claim about savings after switching your policy. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can make those claims.

That is why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Better coverage you can count on

Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions or even being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company can be easier than you think.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In too many instances, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Low-cost car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Roundup agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

For more Montana car insurance information

Additional car insurance information is located on the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance website through this link. Montana consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, read consumer alerts, and find out which companies have the most complaints.