1998 Mercury Mountaineer Insurance Quotes

Trying to find better auto insurance rates for your Mercury Mountaineer? Finding affordable auto insurance may at first seem to be overwhelming for people new to comparing prices online. Because there are so many companies competing online, how are we expected to have time to compare each option to find lower auto insurance premiums?

Buying car insurance is quite easy. If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Nevertheless, drivers benefit from understanding the way companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.

You may qualify for discounts

Companies don’t always list every disount available very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden credits available to you.

  • Discount for Good Grades – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount well after school through age 25.
  • Accident Forgiveness – but certain companies permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you are claim-free for a specific time period.
  • Early Signing – Select larger companies give a discount for switching policies early. Ten percent is about the average savings.
  • Driver’s Education for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll and complete driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
  • Discount for Multiple Policies – If you combine your home and auto policies with one insurance company you could save over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
  • No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
  • Driver Training Discounts – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driver skills can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.

As a footnote on discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it’s just not the way it works.

Companies and a selection of discounts can be read below.

  • Farm Bureau offers discounts for good student, multi-policy, renewal discount, safe driver, 55 and retired, youthful driver, and driver training.
  • State Farm may have discounts that include Steer Clear safe driver discount, good student, student away at school, multiple policy, good driver, and multiple autos.
  • Progressive may include discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and good student.
  • Allstate offers premium reductions for premier plus, good student, anti-lock brakes, economy car, premier discount, and FullPay discount.
  • Nationwide includes discounts for business or organization, easy pay, anti-theft, Farm Bureau membership, and good student.
  • MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, defensive driver, multi-policy, good student, good driver, and claim-free.

If you need lower rates, check with all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Discounts may not be available in every state. If you would like to see a list of insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts, click here.

How to buy auto insurance online

To find the best auto insurance quotes, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from many auto insurance companies in your state. The recommended way to find the lowest 1998 Mercury Mountaineer rates consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished in a couple minutes as outlined below.

One of the simplest ways to get quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This style of form prevents you from having to do a different quote to each individual auto insurance company. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from many national carriers.It’s the quickest way to get rates.

A harder way to find more affordable insurance is going to the website of each company to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want to compare Progressive, State Farm and Allstate. You would have to navigate to each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

The most difficult way to comparison shop rate quotes is driving around to each insurance agency near you. Quoting and buying insurance online makes this unnecessary unless you have a complicated situation and need the professional abilities only provided by licensed agents. Although you can price shop online and have a local agent actually service the policy.

You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but be certain you are entering apples-to-apples coverage information for each price quote. If you compare higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to make an equal comparison. Just slight variations in coverage limits may cause a big price difference. And when comparison shopping, comparing more rates from different companies increases your odds of finding better pricing. Not every company allows you to get quotes online, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from those companies as well.

Mercury Mountaineer insurance price factors

Many factors are considered when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious like an MVR report, but other criteria are more transparent like your continuous coverage or how safe your car is.Consumers need to have an understanding of a few of the rating criteria that go into determining your insurance rates. When you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in lower rates.

The following are some of the most rate-impacting factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set prices.

  • Youthful drivers cost more – Older insureds are proven to be safer behind the wheel, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.Beginning drivers have a tendency to get distracted easily when behind the wheel therefore insurance rates are much higher.
  • File claims and pay more – Car insurance companies award lower rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
  • Optional features impact rates – Driving a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your premiums. Advanced theft deterrents such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent car theft.
  • Married people drive safer – Walking down the aisle may save some money compared to being single. Marriage generally demonstrates drivers are more mature and insurance companies like that being married results in fewer claims.

There’s no such thing as the perfect auto insurance policy

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For example, these questions can aid in determining if you could use an agent’s help.

  • Is my trailer covered?
  • Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
  • If my 1998 Mercury Mountaineer is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks

Respected companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all advertise claims that people will save after switching your policy. How is it plausible that every one can lower your rates? Here is the trick they use.

Companies look for specific characteristics for the driver that earns them the most money. A good example of this type of insured may be over the age of 35, has other policies, and has a short commute. Someone that meets those criteria will get a cheap rate quote and will most likely save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards may be required to pay more expensive rates which usually ends up with the customer not purchasing. The ads say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. Because of this risk profiling, you need to compare quotes as often as possible. You cannot predict the company that will have the best rates for your profile.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Knowing the specifics of insurance aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability insurance – This will cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against things like funeral expenses, medical services, structural damage and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills like funeral costs, X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses and chiropractic care. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Mercury Mountaineer.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hail damage, falling objects, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage covers damage to your Mountaineer from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like driving through your garage door, hitting a mailbox, hitting a parking meter and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Be a smart shopper

We just presented some good ideas how you can shop for 1998 Mercury Mountaineer insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.

When you buy insurance online, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Insureds switch companies for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers or even poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company can be less work than you think.

Additional insurance information can be found at the links below