How many years has it been since you compared lower-priced Chevy Captiva Sport insurance in Baltimore? Tired of sacrificing to pay insurance each month? You are no different than millions of other consumers.
A recent study showed that over 70% of consumers have bought insurance from the same company for four years or more, and roughly 40% of drivers have never shopped around. Baltimore drivers could pocket nearly $750 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but most tend to underestimate the actual amount they would save if they just switched companies. Consumers have many car insurance companies to choose from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, it can be more difficult to find the best rates for your vehicles.
You should take the time to compare rates on a regular basis because rates are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest premium rates on Chevy Captiva Sport insurance in Baltimore a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. Ignore everything you know about insurance because I’m going to teach you the fastest way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
Lower-cost Baltimore insurance rates with discounts
Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be inquired about before you get the savings.
- Active Military Service – Being on active deployment in the military may lower your rates slightly.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Passing a class that teaches defensive driver techniques can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Drive Less and Save – Driving less can earn lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers without accidents may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will qualify for a discount on a Baltimore auto insurance quote.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:
- Progressive has savings for good student, online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
- GEICO may include discounts for anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, good student, and military active duty.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, good student, good driver, passive restraint, and defensive driving training.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including claim free, homeowner, emergency road assistance, anti-theft, and online shopper.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include defensive driver, bundle, air bag, good student, vehicle fuel type, and driver training.
Double check with all the companies which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not be available in your state. If you would like to see a list of companies who offer free Chevy Captiva Sport insurance quotes in Maryland, click this link.
The companies shown below provide comparison quotes in Baltimore, MD. To get cheap car insurance in Baltimore, MD, we recommend you get prices from several of them to find the lowest auto insurance rates.
Can’t I get rate quotes from local Baltimore car insurance agents?
Some people prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is recommended in a lot of cases Most agents can make sure you are properly covered and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that drivers can save money and get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who will give you quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, you can always jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just a cheap price. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Baltimore?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
Not all car insurance agents are the same
When searching for local Baltimore agents, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies that you can choose from. Auto insurance agents in Baltimore may be either exclusive or independent. Both can sell auto insurance policies, but it is important to understand why they differ since it may influence the kind of agent you use.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company such as State Farm, AAA, and Liberty Mutual. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so you might not find the best rates. They are very knowledgeable on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in Baltimore who can help you get price quote information.
Vince Vanneman – State Farm Insurance Agent
1055 Taylor Ave Ste 112 – Baltimore, MD 21286 – (410) 321-0101 – View Map
Aja Green – State Farm Insurance Agent
7635 Belair Rd – Baltimore, MD 21236 – (410) 882-9433 – View Map
State Farm: Scott Garvey
3818 Roland Ave – Baltimore, MD 21211 – (410) 889-5840 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
These agents are not employed by one company so they can quote policies with any number of different companies and get you the best rates possible. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies and that require little work on your part.
If you need lower rates, you will want to include rate quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.
Below are independent insurance agencies in Baltimore that can give you comparison quotes.
Baltimore Insurance Network
11 E Lexington St – Baltimore, MD 21202 – (443) 869-6424 – View Map
Mason and Carter Inc
23 South St – Baltimore, MD 21202 – (410) 539-6767 – View Map
Hill Point Insurance LLC
1400 S Charles St – Baltimore, MD 21230 – (410) 779-9272 – View Map
Choosing Chevy vehicle insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost, buying car insurance serves an important purpose.
- The majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability protection in order to drive the car legally. 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 your Chevy Captiva Sport has a lienholder, most banks will require you to buy full coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Chevy for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects not only your Chevy Captiva Sport but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for medical bills that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of your driving. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially for larger claims. As of last year, the average driver in Maryland overpays as much as $810 a year so compare rates at least once a year to make sure the price is not too high.
Detailed coverages of your auto insurance policy
Knowing the specifics of auto insurance helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and damage to your Chevy Captiva Sport.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 30/60/15), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Collision coverage protection
This pays for damage to your Captiva Sport resulting from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also raise the deductible on your Captiva Sport to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as rock chips in glass, hitting a deer and a broken windshield. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability
Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 30/60/15 which means $30,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $60,000, and a limit of $15,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as medical services, funeral expenses, legal defense fees and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Maryland requires drivers to carry at least 30/60/15 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below shows why minimum state limits may not be adequate coverage.
Insurance for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses like rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits, nursing services and doctor visits. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Affordable coverage is out there
You just learned many ideas to compare Chevy Captiva Sport insurance prices in Baltimore. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small local company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price and still be able to protect your assets.
Steps to finding cheaper Chevy Captiva Sport insurance in Baltimore
It takes a little time, but the best way to find lower priced car insurance rates is to compare quotes annually from insurance carriers in Baltimore. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.
- Learn about how companies set rates and the measures you can take to keep rates down. Many risk factors that result in higher rates like traffic violations and an imperfect credit score can be remedied by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Provide adequate notice to your current company of your decision to cancel your current coverage and submit payment and a signed application to the new company. Make sure you store the proof of insurance certificate in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
The key aspect of shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing identical coverages on every quote request and and to analyze every company you can. This provides a fair rate comparison and the best price selection.
For more information, link through to the articles below:
- Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Honda Accord in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Equinox in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for College Students in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Active Military in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford F-150 in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)