Are you tired of being strong-armed to pay your car insurance bill each month? You are in the same boat as many other drivers. Many auto insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company to discover the definitive best price available.
Be sure to get all your discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Good Students Pay Less – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Student in College – Children who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off on 300CE insurance with certain companies.
It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
To see a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts, click this link.
Impacting insurance rates for a Mercedes-Benz 300CE
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance level of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. Due to the fact that the Mercedes-Benz 300CE falls in the luxury sedan class, rates will be more as compared to the average rate. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be on 300CE insurance.
- Save money with special equipment – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
- Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state department of motor vehicles.
- Protect your assets with liability insurance – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
- Clean credit earns discounts – Having a bad credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit score is low, you could pay less to insure your Mercedes-Benz 300CE by improving your rating.
- Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse actually saves money on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse translates into being more mature than a single person and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Insurance agents can help
When choosing adequate coverage, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.
- Does my Mercedes-Benz 300CE qualify for pleasure use?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Who is covered when they drive my Mercedes-Benz 300CE?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Your insurance agent down the street
Some consumers prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. Professional agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this simple form, the coverage information is transmitted to participating agents who will give you bids for your business. There is no reason to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to your email. How cool is that?!
Choosing an insurance company should depend on more than just a cheap price. These questions are important to ask:
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Do you need an independent or captive insurance agency?
When researching a reliable agent, there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the differences since it may influence your selection of an agent.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agents write business for a single company and some examples include AAA, Allstate and State Farm. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. They are well schooled on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.
For a full directory of car insurance agents, click here.
Once you have acceptable answers for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, it’s possible that you found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.
Smart shoppers get results
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Discount Mercedes-Benz 300CE insurance is available on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
