It’s easy to assume that car insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Consumers who get price quotes annually will presumably buy a new policy because there is a good chance of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A recent survey discovered that people who made a habit of comparing rates saved as much as $865 annually compared to policyholders who don’t regularly compare prices.
If finding the lowest price for car insurance is your ultimate goal, then having a grasp of the best way to shop and compare coverage rates can help make the process easier.
If you want to save money, the best way to get budget Volvo S60 insurance is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers who sell insurance in Baltimore.
- Step 1: Gain an understanding of what coverages are included in your policy and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that cause high rates like traffic violations, accidents, and an imperfect credit rating can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details. Read the full article for additional tips to help prevent costly coverage and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Step 2: Request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.
- Step 3: Compare the quotes to your existing rates and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare identical deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to compare every company you can. Doing this enables an accurate price comparison and many rates to choose from.
Earn discounts on Baltimore insurance
Some insurers don’t list every discount available very clearly, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts you could be receiving when you buy Baltimore auto insurance online.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one is not really a discount per se, but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO will let one accident slide without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
- No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save a little off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give better premium rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Paper-free Discount – A few larger online companies will provide an incentive just for signing your application over the internet.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
- Club Memberships – Joining specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on insurance.
- Save over 55 – Seniors can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Remember that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
A few popular companies and their offered discounts are included below.
- State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, driver’s education, accident-free, anti-theft, and passive restraint.
- Esurance includes discounts for Pac-12 alumni, paid-in-full, emergency road assistance, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- Progressive has discounts for online quote discount, multi-vehicle, homeowner, continuous coverage, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual has savings for new vehicle discount, safety features, newly married, preferred payment discount, and hybrid vehicle.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for student away at school, company car, good student, anti-theft, teen driver, safe vehicle, and paperless.
- GEICO offers discounts for good student, federal employee, air bags, five-year accident-free, and multi-policy.
If you need lower rates, check with each company or agent which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts may not apply in your area.
The quickest way to get policy rate comparisons for Volvo S60 insurance in Baltimore is to know most of the bigger providers participate in online systems to provide you with free rate quotes. The one thing you need to do is give them some information like how much education you have, if it has an alarm system, whether your vehicle is owned or leased, and whether you are married. That information is sent automatically to multiple different insurance companies and they return cost estimate almost instantly.
To check Volvo S60 insurance prices now, click here and find out if you can get cheaper insurance in Baltimore.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer free quotes in Maryland. To buy cheap auto insurance in Maryland, we suggest you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
How Insurance Companies Calculate Volvo S60 Insurance Prices
The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for insurance. When you understand what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower rates.
Shown below are most of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine your premiums.
- Bump up comp and collision deductibles to lower rates – Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your Volvo. Some instances where coverage would apply could be a broken side mirror, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles define how much you are willing to pay before your insurance pays a claim. The more of the claim you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- City traffic equals higher premiums – Having an address in smaller towns and rural areas of the country is a positive aspect if you are looking for the lowest rates. City drivers regularly have more aggressive driving styles and more severe claims. Fewer drivers on the road means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- Liability coverage is peace of mind – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will provide protection if a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- High credit saves on insurance – Having a good credit score can be an important factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit score could use some work, you could be paying less to insure your Volvo S60 by improving your rating. People with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with worse credit.
- Do you have a tough vocation? – Careers such as military generals, police officers, and financial analysts generally have the highest rates due to stressful work requirements and long work days. On the flip side, careers such as scientists, athletes and retirees receive lower rates.
- Your gender affects rates – Statistics have proven females are less aggressive when driving. Now that doesn’t mean females are better drivers. Women and men cause at-fault accidents in similar percentages, but guys cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more major tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Minor frequent claims are not good – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance companies in Maryland give most affordable rates to people who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of more catastrophic claims.
- Lower rates with alarm systems – Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all aid in stopping car theft.
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Insurance losses for a Volvo S60 – Insurers factor in insurance loss information when they set coverage costs for each model. Vehicles that historically have increased claim numbers or amounts will have a higher cost to insure.
The next table illustrates the loss history for Volvo S60 vehicles. For each insurance policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles compiled together is represented as 100. Percentage numbers below 100 indicate better than average losses, while percentages above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or an increased probability of a larger loss.
Auto Insurance Loss Data for Volvo S60 Models Vehicle Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Volvo S60 4dr 2WD 103 85 83 76 72 65 Volvo S60 4dr 4WD 111 73 90 65 66 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Car insurance is unique, just like you
When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your situation will benefit from professional help.
- How high should deductibles be on a Volvo S60?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Maryland?
- Is a fancy paint job covered?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Baltimore?
- Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
- Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
- Am I covered if I hit someone who is not insured?
- Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.
Get rate quotes but buy from a neighborhood Baltimore auto insurance agent
Some people would rather talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Experienced insurance agents are highly skilled in risk management and give you someone to call. A good thing about comparing auto insurance online is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying from local agents is still important in Baltimore.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the quote information gets sent to local insurance agents who can give free rate quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to find an agent because prices are sent to you directly. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific company, you would need to find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
Pick the best auto insurance agent in Baltimore for you
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, it helps to know the two different agency structures that you can select. Agents can either be independent or exclusive. Either one can handle auto insurance, but we need to point out the difference in the companies they write for since it can impact which agent you choose.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type often have affiliation with several companies so they can insure your vehicles with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If prices rise, your agent can just switch to a different company which makes it simple for you.
If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent to get the most accurate price comparison.
Listed below is a partial list of independent agencies in Baltimore that may be able to give free rate quotes.
Rosasco and Yetter Insurance Agency
8831 Satyr Hill Rd #302 – Baltimore, MD 21234 – (410) 661-1440 – View Map
Nationwide Insurance: Bruce Cohee Agency Inc
502 Baltimore Ave – Towson, MD 21204 – (410) 823-8777 – View Map
Austen’s Insurance Inc
3407 Eastern Blvd – Baltimore, MD 21220 – (410) 686-4700 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can usually just insure with one company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agencies receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.
Below is a short list of exclusive agents in Baltimore who can help you get rate quotes.
Tom Nash – State Farm Insurance Agent
454 E Fort Ave – Baltimore, MD 21230 – (410) 727-4545 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Kent Schwab
401 Jefferson Ave – Towson, MD 21286 – (410) 433-4700 – View Map
Valerie Cherry – State Farm Insurance Agent
6800 York Road – Baltimore, MD 21212 – (410) 435-6600 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent should depend on more than just the premium amount. Any good agent in Baltimore should know the answers to these questions.
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
- Which family members are covered?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Where are claims handled?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- How are claims handled?
Upon receiving positive feedback to all your questions as well as offering an affordable quote, you may have just found a car insurance agent that meets the criteria to insure your vehicles.
Why insurance is not optional
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Baltimore, insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability insurance if you drive a 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.
- If you took out a loan on your Volvo, it’s guaranteed your bank will require you to have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may insure your Volvo at a much higher rate and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance preserves your car and your assets. It also can pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your Volvo gets damaged, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your S60 definitely exceed the price paid, particularly if you ever have a claim. But the average driver in Maryland is currently overpaying as much as $869 every year so it’s recommended you shop around once a year at a minimum to save money.
Shop smart and save
We just covered many tips how you can lower your Volvo S60 insurance premium rates in Baltimore. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, an insured cut full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage at the best cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Drivers switch companies for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, policy cancellation or even not issuing a premium refund. No matter why you want to switch, switching auto insurance companies is actually quite simple.
Even more information is available at these sites:
- Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Baltimore Car Insurance for a GMC Sierra? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)