Save Money on Oldsmobile Silhouette Insurance in Baltimore

Shockingly, most insurance customers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for four years or more, and just under half have never shopped around. Consumers in Baltimore could save themselves 55% a year just by getting comparison quotes, but they don’t understand how simple it is to compare rate quotes online.

The best way to find affordable quotes for car insurance rates in Baltimore is to do an annual price comparison from companies who provide car insurance in Maryland. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.

1. Take a little time to learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the factors you can control to keep rates down. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price like distracted driving and a less-than-favorable credit history can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article provides information to help prevent costly coverage and find additional discounts.
2. Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote rates from multiple insurance companies.
3. Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to see if a cheaper price is available in Baltimore. If you find a better price and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
4. Notify your agent or company to cancel your current coverage and submit a down payment along with a signed application to your new carrier. Be sure to put the new proof of insurance paperwork with your registration paperwork.

A key point to remember is to try to use the same level of coverage on every quote request and and to look at as many different companies as possible. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.

Cut your car insurance rates with these ten discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every policy discount very well, so the following is a list of a few of the more well known and also the lesser-known credits that may apply to you. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you could be paying more than you need to.

• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
• Baltimore Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Baltimore may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
• Online Discount – A handful of car insurance companies provide a small discount for buying your policy on the web.
• Bundled Policy Discount – When you combine your homeowners and auto insurance and insure them both with the same insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles on the same car insurance policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Not all companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles on your Oldsmobile may enable drivers to earn substantially lower rates.
• Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can get you a discount because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Payment Method – By making one initial payment rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• Driver Safety – Completing a course that instructs on driving safety is a good idea and can lower rates and make you a better driver.

It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A list of car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are included below.

• Travelers has discounts for new car, IntelliDrive, home ownership, student away at school, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
• 21st Century offers discounts for early bird, air bags, good student, teen driver, defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, and theft prevention.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple autos, good driver, accident-free, good student, anti-theft, and driver’s education.
• GEICO may have discounts that include seat belt use, driver training, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, military active duty, federal employee, and anti-lock brakes.
• SAFECO may include discounts for bundle discounts, homeowner, anti-theft, teen safe driver, and multi-car.
• AAA offers discounts including multi-car, AAA membership discount, good student, education and occupation, and good driver.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in Baltimore.

The companies shown below offer quotes in Baltimore, MD. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit two to three different companies to get the best price comparison.

You are unique and your auto insurance should be too

When selecting coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

These are some specific questions could help you determine whether you will benefit from professional help.

• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• When would I need additional glass coverage?
• What is the premium to book value ratio for dropping full coverage?
• Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
• Does insurance cover tools stolen from my truck?
• What is PIP insurance?
• Do I need more liability coverage?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

Exclusive or independent auto insurance agents

A small number of people still prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that can be a smart move Insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is that you can find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance provider, just go to their quote page and complete a quote there.

Finding a good insurance company should depend on more than just the quoted price. Below are some questions you should ask.

• Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
• Does the company have a solid financial rating?
• How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?
• Are there any discounts for paying up front?
• Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
• Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
• Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?

When researching local Baltimore agents, it’s helpful to know the different agency structures and how they can service your needs differently. Agents in Baltimore can be classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Either can sell insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know the difference in the companies they write for since it may influence which type of agent you select.

Exclusive Insurance Agents

Agents of this type write business for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable on sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price.

Listed below are Baltimore exclusive insurance agents who may provide you with rate quotes.

View more Baltimore agents

Independent Insurance Agencies

Agents that elect to be independent often have many company appointments so as a result can place your coverage with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to find a new agent.

If you need cheaper insurance rates, we recommend you get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Baltimore that can give you comparison quotes.

View more Baltimore agents

Why you need auto insurance

Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Oldsmobile Silhouette in Baltimore, paying for auto insurance may not be optional for several reasons.

• Most states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a specific level of liability coverage in order to be legal. 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 have a loan on your Silhouette, most banks will have a requirement that you carry insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may insure your Oldsmobile at a much higher premium rate and require you to pay for it.
• Insurance protects both your vehicle and your assets. Insurance will pay for hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also covers legal expenses if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your Oldsmobile gets damaged, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.

The benefits of insuring your car are without a doubt worth the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is currently overpaying as much as $830 a year so it’s recommended you shop around at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.

Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays for damage to your Silhouette caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible on your Silhouette in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability coverages – Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 30/60/15 that means you have a $30,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $15,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers things such as court costs, medical expenses, legal defense fees, emergency aid and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Maryland requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/15 but you should consider buying more coverage.

The chart below shows why buying low liability limits may not be enough.

UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Oldsmobile Silhouette.

Due to the fact that many Maryland drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 30/60/15), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like hitting a bird, damage from flooding, hitting a deer and falling objects. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Medical costs insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills such as hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses, chiropractic care, funeral costs and prosthetic devices. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Baltimore auto insurance company ratings

Ending up with the highest-rated car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many companies sell insurance in Baltimore. The rank data in the next section may help you decide which providers you want to consider when comparing rates.

Top 10 Baltimore Car Insurance Companies Overall

1. Travelers
2. USAA
3. Mercury Insurance
4. AAA Insurance
5. Nationwide
6. Allstate
7. State Farm
8. The Hartford
9. Safeco Insurance
10. Progressive

Top 10 Baltimore Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value

1. Mercury Insurance
2. Travelers
3. American Family
4. AAA Insurance
5. Safeco Insurance
6. Progressive
7. The Hartford
8. The General
9. 21st Century
10. Esurance

A little work can save a LOT of money

Discount Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance in Baltimore is attainable from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Baltimore, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not provide rates over the internet and many times these small, regional companies prefer to sell through local independent agencies.

You just read some good ideas how to find affordable Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance in Baltimore. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding low cost Baltimore car insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest car insurance rates come from a small mutual company.

People who switch companies do it for many reasons like not issuing a premium refund, delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent or even being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be pretty painless.

More tips and info about insurance can be read in the articles below:

• How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Baltimore? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Nurses in Baltimore? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Dodge Ram in Baltimore? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a Toyota Camry in Baltimore? (FAQ)
• Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Child Safety FAQ (iihs.org)
• Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)