Lower Your 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis Insurance Rates

Do you get exhausted from being strong-armed to keep your car insured? You have the same problem as many other vehicle owners.

Due to the large number of options when it comes to auto insurance, it’s nearly impossible to pick a lower cost auto insurance company.

Insurance coverage quotes and discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that could help you make your next renewal payment. A few discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but some must be asked about before being credited.

• Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
• College Student – Youth drivers who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus may be insured at a cheaper rate.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Not all insurance carriers offer life insurance, but some may give you a discount if you purchase a life policy as well.
• Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can earn you a little savings since owning and maintaining a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
• Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down on your Mercury could earn lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
• Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings of up to 25% or more.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though you would think you could get a free insurance coverage policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will reduce your policy cost.

A few popular companies and a selection of discounts are shown below.

• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple policy, accident-free, passive restraint, multiple autos, good driver, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
• Nationwide offers discounts including multi-policy, defensive driving, easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, family plan, and business or organization.
• Geico has savings for defensive driver, multi-vehicle, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and emergency military deployment.
• AAA offers premium reductions for good driver, pay-in-full, education and occupation, multi-car, anti-theft, good student, and AAA membership discount.
• 21st Century includes discounts for teen driver, automatic seat belts, early bird, good student, and defensive driver.
• The Hartford may offer discounts for good student, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, driver training, and anti-theft.

When getting a coverage quote, ask each company how you can save money. A few discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. For a list of insurance companies that offer some of these discounts, click here to view.

The Mercury Grand Marquis insurance cost equation

When buying car insurance it’s important to understand the factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. If you know what influences your rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you cheaper rates.

The items below are a few of the “ingredients” used by insurance companies to determine rates.

• Your car’s features help determine rates – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Systems that thwart theives such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
• City dwellers may pay more – Having an address in a rural area can save you money when talking about car insurance. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accident claims and a lower car theft rate. Drivers in populated areas tend to have more traffic problems and more severe claims. Longer commute distances means more chance of being in an accident.
• Never let your coverage expire – Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance coverage expire. And not only will your rates increase, the inability to provide proof of insurance could earn you fines and jail time.
• Eliminate incidental coverages – Policies have optional add-on coverages you can purchase on your Grand Marquis policy. Things like personal injury protection, death and dismemberment, and extra life insurance coverage could be just wasting money. These coverages may sound good when discussing your needs, but your needs may have changed so remove them and pocket the money.
• Save money by having high credit – Having a bad credit score can be a huge factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit score can be improved, you could save money insuring your 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis by repairing your credit. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
• Consolidate policies with the same company – Most car insurance companies allow lower prices to clients who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money.
• Drive lots and pay more – The higher the mileage driven each year the higher your rates will be. A lot of insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars that sit idle most of the time get more affordable rates than cars that get driven a lot. It’s a smart idea to ensure your policy correctly shows the correct driver usage. Improper usage on your Grand Marquis may be wasting your money.
• Single drivers take more risk – Being married helps lower the price compared to being single. It generally demonstrates drivers are more mature and it’s proven that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.

Situations that may require an agent’s advice

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?
• How do I buy GAP insurance?
• Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

The coverage is in the details

Having a good grasp of your insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.

Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as falling objects, fire damage, hail damage, a broken windshield and theft. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and 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. You might see values of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against claims like court costs, funeral expenses and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses for EMT expenses, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision coverages – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims like colliding with a tree, damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

In Summary

Cheaper 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis insurance can be found both online and from local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not provide online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

Additional articles

• Winter Driving (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
• Teen Driving Statistics (Geico)
• How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)