Wish you could get out of an expensive car insurance policy? Trust us, many consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with ads and it is difficult to see through the deception and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Consumers need to do rate comparisons before your policy renews because car insurance rates go up and down regularly. If you had the best deal for Mark VII insurance a few years ago you may be paying too much now. There is too much inaccurate information about car insurance online but we’re going to give you a lot of great tips on how to buy car insurance cheaper.
Car insurance policy discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some discounts will apply at quote time, but a few need to be requested specifically before they will apply.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can save you money because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds who allow driving data submission to scrutinize their driving habits by installing a telematics device like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Drivers Education – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Paper-free Discount – Many car insurance companies will give a small break simply for signing over the internet.
- Bundled Policy Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% and get you .
- Pay Upfront and Save – By making one initial payment rather than paying in monthly installments you could save 5% or more.
You should keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
To see a list of companies who offer discounts, click here.
Compare car insurance rates
Comparing car insurance rates can be a lot of work if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You can waste hours driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to achieve your goal.
Most major companies participate in an industry program where insurance shoppers enter their policy data once, and each company returns a competitive quote determined by their information. This eliminates the need for form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To submit your quote information now, click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you cannot specify the providers you want pricing from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
However you get your quotes, make absolute certain that you use nearly identical quote data for each comparison quote. If you compare different values for each quote it’s impossible to make an equal comparison.
The Lincoln Mark VII Insurance Cost Equation
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you understand what influences your rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower rates. Many factors are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but other criteria are more obscure such as your credit history and annual miles driven.
The factors shown below are just a few of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- Proper usage rating affects prices – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Many insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that do not get driven very much cost less to insure than cars that get driven a lot. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance coverage correctly shows the correct usage. Incorrect rating for your Mark VII may be costing you higher rates.
- Battle of the sexes – Statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes are in accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. In addition to higher claims, males also get ticketed for serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
- Adjust coverage deductibles and save – Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are rearending another vehicle, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more damage repair cost you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive for Mark VII insurance.
- Getting married can save on car insurance – Getting married may cut your premiums when shopping for car insurance. It generally demonstrates drivers are more mature than a single person and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
When should I discuss my situation with an agent?
When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might point out whether you could use an agent’s help.
- Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
- Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
- Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my Lincoln Mark VII?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Can’t I compare prices from local insurance agencies?
Some consumers prefer to buy from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Licensed agents can help you build your policy and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find better rates and still have an agent to talk to.
By using this simple form, the quote information gets sent to companies who want to provide quotes for your car insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. If you wish to get a price quote from a particular provider, you just need to go to their quote page and give them your coverage information.
Finding a good insurance company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- What discounts might you be missing?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Are there any discounts for paying up front?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
Pick the best car insurance agent for you
When finding a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they work. Insurance agencies are considered either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Both types of agents can insure your vehicles, but we need to point out the difference between them because it can factor into which agent you choose.
Captive Agents
Agents of this type write business for a single company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Captive insurance agents are usually well trained on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with lots of companies and find the cheapest rate. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier which requires no work on your part. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, you need to include rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to ensure the widest selection of prices.
To help find agencies in your area, you may want to link to this directory of car insurance agents in your state.
After talking to the agent and getting answers to your satisfaction to any questions you may have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide car insurance.
Why you might not save $436 a year
Drivers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads try to convey promises that people will save if you just switch your car insurance policy to them.
How does each company say the same thing?
Insurance companies quote their cheapest rates for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For example, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 45, has no claims, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. A driver who fits those characteristics will get very good premium rates and will most likely save a lot if they switch.
Potential insureds who fall short of those standards must pay a higher rate which leads to the customer not purchasing. The ads say “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently make those statements. Because of the profiling, you really should compare rate quotes every year. Because without a comparison, you cannot know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Buy online or local, you save
When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best possible price.
Lower-priced Lincoln Mark VII insurance can be sourced on the web and from local agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and many times these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agents.
