Trying to find lower car insurance rates for your Mercury Cougar? Wish you could get out of high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Consumers have many insurers to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, it can be more challenging to get the best deal.
Consumers should take time to quote other rates at least once a year because car insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the lowest rate for Cougar insurance a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the things you must know in order to get good coverage at a lower rate.
Some insurers don’t always publicize every disount available very well, so here is a list a few of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy insurance coverage online.
Remember that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
If you are trying to find cheaper insurance coverage quotes, ask every insurance company the best way to save money. Some credits may not be offered in your state. To find insurance companies that offer many of these discounts, follow this link.
There are several ways you can shop for car insurance but one way is more efficient than others. You could waste time discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting to get pricing more quickly.
Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to submit their information once, and every company returns a competitive quote. This saves time by eliminating form submissions to every company.
To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.
The single downside to pricing coverage this way is you cannot specify which companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to request quotes from, we put together a list of car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, be sure you’re using the same coverage limits and deductibles for each price quote. If the quotes have different values for each quote you will not be able to truly determine the lowest rate.
When buying adequate coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the normal coverages found on most insurance policies.
Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your Cougar caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims like hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability car insurance – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims like medical services, court costs and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses for dental work, hospital visits, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and funeral costs. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
We just presented many ways to lower your 1997 Mercury Cougar insurance car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. Drivers may discover the lowest car insurance rates come from a small mutual company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower premium rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Geico and State Farm.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped collision coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.
To read more, take a look at the articles below:
Rufus Soto
IT’S ALL TOO EXPENSIVE! I live in a small town just outside of Virginia Beach, VA. Quoted with AAA, Mercury, and a few others for my Mercury and am saving around $80 a year. Insured with Sentry before. I got a quote from their website. Not worth enough to pay for comprehensive and collision.
Ping Ferguson
Well-written and thought out article. I’m in Aberdeen, SD. I got free rates from State Farm, American Family, and Erie for my Cougar and saved $112 a year. Was with Farmers. Even increased coverage a bit. It never hurts to quote around. Only insure liability on my Cougar.
Donette Sawyer
I can’t pay high rates. I’m in the west part of Des Moines, Iowa. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Wish I didn’t have to insure at all. I dropped full coverage awhile back.
Callie Skinner
Here’s my info. I’m just west of Parkersburg, WV. Quoted prices online for a 1997 Mercury Cougar. Ended up at about $80 savings annually. Went with 21st Century. Have a couple speeding tickets too. Book value doesn’t justify full coverage anymore.
Rosanne Maynard
IT’S ALL TOO EXPENSIVE! I’m just west of Little Rock, Arkansas. Quoted a bunch of companies. Saved darn near $20 a month. Progressive was the most affordable for me. Left 21st Century to switch. Even increased coverage a bit. Anyone else drop full coverage?
Mana Burch
Cheap car insurance? What’s that? I’m just west of Charleston, SC. Received quotes from Auto-Owners, Sentry, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my 1997 Mercury Cougar and saved around $90 a year. Left The General to switch. I get lower rates because of my clean driving record. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or through an agent.
Ceola Pruitt
Live in Rockford, IL. I quoted with Amica, MetLife, and USAA for my Mercury and I think I am saving around $30 each month. God forbid I actually have a claim. I don’t have comp or collision coverage.
Jutta Whitley
Does Progressive offer multi-policy discounts?
Myong Carey
Cheaper car insurance is a myth. I live north of Columbia, SC. Checked online prices for a 1997 Mercury Cougar. Ended up at about $90 savings annually. Went with Progressive. Are quotes cheaper online?
Nakisha Carr
I’m in the suburbs of Green Bay, WI, and 21st Century rates were best. Got better coverage too. It was easy to get rates. Liability only on my Mercury.
Quincy Wheeler
Affordable car insurance is a myth. Got a quote with AIG Insurance for my 1997 Mercury Cougar and cut my rates about $70 a year. I’m thinking about dropping full coverage though.
Almeda Warren
Good detail in your article. I’m in Detroit, MI. I got free quotes from GEICO, The General, and Encompass for my 1997 Mercury Cougar and I’m now saving $16 a month. My new agent seems to be really good. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or through an agent.
Moises Stanley
I’m in Norfolk, Virginia. Got quotes from AIG Insurance, Sentry, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my Cougar and saved $114 a year. Thankfully I’m not a high risk driver. Online quotes are the way to go. Full coverage costs too much.