I can’t think of anyone who cherishes buying car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much.
Big companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance constantly bombard you with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.
Comparison of Car Insurance
All major car insurance companies provide pricing on the web. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you just type in your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. After you complete the form, their rating system makes automated requests for information on your driving record and credit history and gives you a price quote based on these factors. Quoting online helps simplify price comparisons, but the work required to visit different websites and type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you are searching for the best price possible.
Compare rates the easy way
The easiest way to compare car insurance pricing requires only one form that gets price quotes from multiple companies. This type of form saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable and efficient. Once the form is submitted, your coverage is rated and you can select any one of the quotes that you receive.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.
To get comparison pricing now, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you enter coverages and limits just like they are on your policy. This guarantees you will have a fair comparison based on identical coverages.
Lower rates by qualifying for discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared with frequent claim filers.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less for Tracer coverage than drivers with accidents.
- Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get reduced rates for Tracer coverage.
- Drivers Education – Have your child complete a driver education course in school.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount for Tracer coverage with a few car insurance companies.
It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.
To choose providers offering car insurance discounts, follow this link.
Why your Mercury Tracer insurance rates may be high
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.
- Better credit means lower rates – A driver’s credit rating is a huge factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your Mercury Tracer by improving your rating.
- Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Not having insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Increase deductibles and save – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive for Tracer coverage.
- Careful drivers pay lower rates – Just one ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Battle of the sexes – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Men and women have accidents at a similar rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
- Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies give cheaper rates to people who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- How many coverages with the same company – The majority of car insurance companies will give a discount to customers who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Consumers may find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
What if I want to buy from a local agent?
A small number of people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local insurance agencies is especially important in small towns and cities.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents who will battle to get your business. There is no need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. How cool is that?! Get lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Types of auto insurance agents
When searching for local agents, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Agents are classified as either captive or independent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you should always include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
Captive Insurance Agents
These agents have only one company to place business with such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
For a complete listing of agents, visit this site.
Picking an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:
- How are claims handled?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in your state?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
Upon getting reasonable responses to all your questions and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that will provide car insurance coverage.
Can switching companies really save?
Car insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile will be quoted higher rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will fit your personal profile best.
In conclusion
When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
We just presented a lot of information how to lower your Mercury Tracer insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
