Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are many consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.
Companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance continually hit you with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to see past the geckos and flying pigs and take the time to shop coverage around.
Car Insurance Comparison Rates
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way by far to find competitive Mercury Montego insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.
- One of the best ways to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for separate forms for every car insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will get you rate comparisons from many national carriers.
- A different way to obtain and compare quotes online requires a visit to the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from USAA, Safeco and Allstate. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
- The hardest way of comparing rate quotes is to waste gas driving to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the trained guidance only provided by licensed agents. Drivers can comparison shop your insurance online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.
Whichever way you use, ensure you’re using identical coverage information on every quote you get. If you use different deductibles you can’t possibly decipher which rate is best. Quoting even small variations in limits may result in a large different in cost. And when comparison shopping, comparing more company’s prices helps you find a lower rate.
Take advantage of discounts
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but a few must be manually applied before they will apply.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home can save you money because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more for Montego coverage than drivers with accidents.
- Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared to frequent claim filers.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
- Distant Student – Children living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates, click here to view.
Complexity of Mercury Montego insurance rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.
Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into prices.
- Adjust deductibles and save – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your Mercury. A few examples of covered claims would be collision with another vehicle, vandalism, and burglary. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the lower your rates will be for Montego coverage.
- Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you file claims often, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance companies generally give lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. Car insurance is intended for larger claims.
- Where do you drive? – The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Having the wrong rating on your Montego may be wasting your money. Double check that your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates. If your Mercury Montego scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.
- Males pay more for insurance – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Both sexes are in accidents at about the same rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Poor credit can mean higher rates – Having a bad credit rating is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your Mercury Montego by improving your rating.
- Marriage brings a discount – Having a wife or husband can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Marriage means you’re more mature and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Price shop online but buy from a local agent
Some consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local agencies is important particularly if you live in a smaller city or town.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your insurance data is emailed to agents in your area who will return price quotes to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent directly to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.
How to choose the best auto insurance agent
If you’re trying to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can select. Insurance agencies can either be captive or independent.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to include multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents write business for a single company like AAA, Allstate and State Farm. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agents are well schooled in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
To view a full list of car insurance agents, visit this page.
Selecting a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in your state?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
After getting positive feedback to these questions and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that will properly service your car insurance policy.
Tailor your coverage to you
When buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation could use an agent’s help.
- What discounts do I qualify for?
- Is a no-fault state?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- Are my friends covered when driving my Mercury Montego?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Can switching companies really save?
Companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you switch your coverage to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?
Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be over the age of 50, owns a home, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Drivers who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can claim big savings.
This emphasizes why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
A little work can save a LOT of money
You just learned a lot of tips how to compare Mercury Montego insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
The cheapest Mercury Montego insurance can be purchased on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies may not provide online quoting and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
