If you want to save money, the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates in Baltimore is to compare quotes annually from different companies who sell auto insurance in Maryland. You can shop around by completing these steps.
- First, try to comprehend how your policy works and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates like traffic citations and bad credit can be eliminated by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover more details to lower rates and get discounts that may be overlooked.
- Second, quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you can save money and make a switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, give notification to your agent or company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit the required down payment along with the signed application to the new company. Once the paperwork is finalized, safely store the proof of insurance certificate with the vehicle registration.
One thing to point out is to use the same coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to analyze every insurance company. Doing this helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
A recent insurance study revealed that a large majority of consumers have been with the same company for at least four years, and 38% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average insurance premium being $1,847, U.S. drivers can cut their rates by about 47% a year, but they don’t know the actual amount they would save if they switch to a new company.
Reduce Insurance Rates with These Tips
Many factors are part of the equation when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, but others are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married and annual miles driven.
Listed below are some of the most common factors companies use to determine rates.
- Discounts for alarm systems – Driving a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your premiums. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can thwart car theft.
- Influences performance influences auto insurance premiums – The type of vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a huge difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for economy passenger vehicles, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Your age impacts your prices – Inexperience drivers are statistically shown to be less responsible behind the wheel and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher. Older insureds are proven to be safer behind the wheel, statistically cause fewer accidents, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
- Buy a safe car and pay less – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Lexus RC 200t scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you are probably receiving a discount.
- Cautious drivers pay less – Drivers who don’t get tickets get better prices as compared to those with violations. Only having one driving citation could increase your next policy renewal by as much as thirty percent. People who have license-revoking violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions might be required by their state to complete a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
The easiest way to compare car insurance company rates for Lexus RC 200t insurance in Baltimore takes advantage of the fact most larger insurance companies pay for the opportunity to give rate comparisons. To get started, all you need to do is provide a small amount of information like what your job is, how much coverage you want, the type of vehicles you drive, and if a SR-22 is needed. The rating information is instantly sent to insurance carriers in your area and you receive quotes very quickly.
If you would like to compare rates now, click here and enter the information requested.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer quotes in Baltimore, MD. To get cheap auto insurance in Maryland, we suggest you visit several of them to get the cheapest price.
Car insurance just makes sense
Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle serves an important purpose.
First, most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to license the vehicle. In Maryland these limits are 30/60/15 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you have a lien on your vehicle, most lenders will require you to buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you default on your policy, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Lexus at a more expensive rate and force you to pay for it.
Third, car insurance protects both your assets and your car. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance are definitely more than the cost, particularly for liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Baltimore is overpaying over $700 annually so shop around at every policy renewal to save money.
Cheaper Baltimore insurance quotes with discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.
- Driver’s Ed – Have your child complete a driver education course as it can save substantially.
- Cautious Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents could pay up to 40% less than drivers with accident claims.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to fasten their seat belts can save a little off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Active Service Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger insurance carriers have better prices if you take out auto and life insurance together.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are included below.
- State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, good driver, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including business and professional, teen driver, early shopping, alternative fuel, pay in full, mature driver, and multi-car.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for federal employee, anti-lock brakes, driver training, membership and employees, and anti-theft.
- American Family discounts include multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, defensive driver, good student, and mySafetyValet.
- Nationwide offers discounts including defensive driving, family plan, easy pay, accident-free, anti-theft, and good student.
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, homeowner, good student, online quote discount, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
If you need inexpensive Baltimore car insurance quotes, ask every company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply to policies in Baltimore. To choose providers with the best discounts in Baltimore, click here to view.
Local Baltimore insurance agents
Some people still like to buy from a local agent. One of the benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still buy from a local agent. And providing support for local agents is especially important in Baltimore.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is transmitted to companies in Baltimore that can give you free Baltimore car insurance quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you have a need to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you just need to navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
When researching a local Baltimore insurance agency, you should know the different types of agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents in Baltimore are categorized either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
These type of agents can quote rates with many companies and that is an advantage because they can write policies with an assortment of companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a cheaper price, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing auto insurance rates, you definitely need to include rate quotes from a few independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in Baltimore who can help you get free rate quotes.
Maryland Auto Insurance (the new MAIF)
1215 E Fort Ave #300 – Baltimore, MD 21230 – (800) 492-7120 – View Map
Allied Insurance Agency
7840 Eastern Ave – Baltimore, MD 21224 – (410) 282-1111 – View Map
Mason and Carter Inc
23 South St – Baltimore, MD 21202 – (410) 539-6767 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive are contracted to one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive insurance agents receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Below are exclusive insurance agencies in Baltimore that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance: Jim Craig
2829 O’Donnell St – Baltimore, MD 21224 – (410) 522-6100 – View Map
Cyndi Kuhn – State Farm Insurance Agent
6100 Eastern Ave – Baltimore, MD 21224 – (410) 633-5000 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Bennett-Carll Insurance Agency
7435 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd – Glen Burnie, MD 21061 – (410) 760-6651 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agency is decision based upon more than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- How long has their agency been open in Baltimore?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
Upon getting good feedback to any questions you have and cheap RC 200t insurance quotes, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that can be relied on to adequately provide auto insurance.
Compare auto insurance prices regularly to save
Cheaper auto insurance in Baltimore can be purchased online and also from your neighborhood Baltimore agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who may not have rate quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers work with independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Helpful learning opportunities
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- How Much is Baltimore Car Insurance for a Company Car? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Low Credit Scores in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for High Mileage Drivers in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Baltimore Auto Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Altima? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)