Cheap Insurance for a Mercury Mountaineer in Madison

Amazingly, a recent NerdWallet.com study showed that the vast majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for over three years, and nearly the majority have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average premium in America being $1,847, drivers could cut their rates by 46.5% a year, but they just don’t understand the benefits if they switched to a cheaper policy.

It takes a little time, but the best way to find low-cost Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Madison is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from companies who provide car insurance in Wisconsin. Rates can be compared by following these steps.

Step 1: Spend a few minutes and learn about car insurance and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many factors that result in higher prices such as at-fault accidents and an imperfect credit rating can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article provides more information to prevent high rates and get additional discounts.

Step 2: Obtain price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can quote prices for many different companies. View prices

Step 3: Compare the quotes to your current policy premium to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare identical limits and deductibles on every price quote and to quote with every company you can. Doing this guarantees a level playing field and the best price selection.

Compare Madison Mercury Mountaineer insurance quotes online

When comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing more rates from different companies gives you a better chance of getting more affordable insurance.

The companies in the list below provide comparison quotes in Wisconsin. To buy the cheapest car insurance in Madison, we suggest you get rates from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Discounts can help to save on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Madison

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available to help bring down the price. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time you complete a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be asked about before being credited.

• Student Discount for Driver Training – Have your child enroll in driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a discounted rate on car insurance if you buy life insurance from them.
• First Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but a few companies such as State Farm and Progressive permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to being involved in the accident.
• Organization Discounts – Having an affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
• Defensive Driver Discounts – Participating in a course teaching safe driver skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
• No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
• Discount for Multiple Policies – If you can bundle your auto and home insurance and place coverage with the same company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Theft Deterrent System – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices help deter theft so companies will give you a small discount.
• Discount for Low Mileage – Driving less may enable drivers to earn discounted premium rates on garaged vehicles.
• Own a Home and Save – Just owning your own home can get you a discount because owning a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.

Policy discounts save money, but most discounts do not apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, nobody gets a free ride.

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer annual premium costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. Data assumes a male driver, no claims or driving violations, Wisconsin state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, marriage, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.

If you would like to view providers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Wisconsin, click here to view.

Rate information and statistics

The premium table displayed below outlines different insurance rates for Mercury Mountaineer models. Learning how rates are figured can help you make smart choices when selecting a policy.

Data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Wisconsin minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can increase or decrease coverage prices greatly.

Raise deductibles and save

One of the hardest decisions when shopping for insurance is which deductible level should you buy. The following insurance rates may help to illustrate the rate difference when you buy lower versus higher comp and collision deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $100 deductible and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Wisconsin minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in Madison location which can impact prices noticeably.

Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible costs about $26 more each month or $312 a year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at a minimum 35 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you choose a higher deductible.

Impact of age and gender on insurance rates

The diagram below illustrates the difference between Mercury Mountaineer auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The costs are based on no claims or driving violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.

Do you need full coverage?

The information below visualizes the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Wisconsin. The data assumes no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Should you buy full coverage or liability only?

There is no definitive guideline of when to eliminate full coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Mercury Mountaineer claim settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would get paid by your company is $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $800 a year to have full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some scenarios where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.

Independent and exclusive insurance agents

A small number of people would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that drivers can save money and get lower prices but still work with a licensed agent. Buying insurance from small agencies is definitely important in Madison.

Upon completion of this simple form, the coverage information is sent to insurance agents in Madison that give free quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to do any legwork because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you have a need to compare prices from a specific insurance provider, just find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.

If you’re trying to find a local agent, you need to know there are two different types of agencies that you can choose from. Madison agents are either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents do not sell for just one brand so they can quote policies through many different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, they can switch companies in-house which is easy for the insured.

If you are comparing insurance prices, you definitely need to compare prices from independent agents for maximum quote selection.

Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in Madison that may be able to give you free rate quotes.

View more Madison agents

Exclusive Insurance Agents

Agents that choose to be exclusive generally can only insure with one company like Farmers Insurance and State Farm. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are highly trained in insurance sales and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.

The following are Madison exclusive insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.

View more Madison agents

Finding a good car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.

• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• How many years have they been established?
• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?

Find Lower-cost Car Insurance with These Tips

One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of a few of the rating criteria that help determine the level of your policy premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

The factors shown below are some of the major factors used by your company to calculate rates.

• Your occupation and car insurance rates – Occupational choices like fire fighters, architects, and emergency personnel tend to have the highest average rates in part from intense work-related stress and extremely grueling work hours. Other jobs like actors, athletes and homemakers receive lower rates.
• Raising comp and collision deductibles lowers costs – Physical damage coverage, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, is used to repair damage to your Mercury. Some coverage claims are a broken side mirror, collision with an animal, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more of the claim the insured has to pay upfront, the less your car insurance will be.
• Improve your credit rating – Having a good credit history will be a significant factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit rating leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your Mercury Mountaineer if you improve your credit rating. Insureds with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit.

• Tickets can increase prices – Your driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Having just one chargeable violation could increase your next policy renewal substantially. Good drivers pay lower auto insurance prices compared to drivers with tickets. People who have license-revoking violations like DUI or willful reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.

  The information below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault claims increase Mercury Mountaineer car insurance rates for each age group. The data assumes a married male driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

• Car plus home equals more savings – Lots of insurers provide discounts to buyers that have more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to ten or even fifteen percent. Even with this discount, consumers should still check prices from other companies to guarantee you are still saving the most. Drivers may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
• Drive fewer miles and save – The more miles you rack up on your Mercury in a year the higher your rate. A lot of companies rate vehicles based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Autos that have low annual miles cost less to insure than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Improper usage on your Mountaineer may be wasting your money. Verify your declarations sheet states the correct usage.

• High performance equals high premiums – The performance level of the car or truck you are insuring makes a substantial difference in your auto insurance rates. Low performance passenger vehicles receive the most favorable rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

  The following data uses these assumptions: single female driver age 40, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Mercury Mountaineer insurance premiums compared to other vehicles that have a range of performance rating factors.

• Eliminate add-on coverages – There are quite a few extra coverages that may not really be needed but may not be useful. Coverages like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness, and Farm Bureau memberships could be just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so consider taking them off your policy.

Why insurance is not optional

Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Madison, maintaining insurance is not optional due to several reasons.

First, most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability coverage if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In Wisconsin these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if you took out a loan on your car, it’s guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you have insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Mercury at an extremely high rate and require you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.

Third, insurance safeguards your vehicle and your assets. It will also reimburse you for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of buying enough insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially with large liability claims. But the average driver in Wisconsin is overpaying more than $820 a year so it’s important to compare rates once a year at a minimum to help ensure money is not being wasted.

In the end, you can save money

You just read many ways to save on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Madison. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting inexpensive Madison car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.

Cost effective Mercury Mountaineer insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you need to shop Madison car insurance with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not offer internet price quotes and usually these regional carriers work with independent agents.

More detailed insurance information is available in these articles:

• Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Madison, Wisconsin? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Young Drivers in Madison? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Chevrolet Silverado in Madison? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Madison Auto Insurance for a Ford Explorer? (FAQ)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Traverse in Madison? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Uber Drivers in Madison? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota 4Runner in Madison? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Business Use in Madison? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Madison Car Insurance Rates for High Mileage Drivers? (FAQ)
• Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
• Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
• Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)