Cheap 2001 Mercury Cougar Insurance Rates

Trying to find the cheapest car insurance rates? Buyers have options when searching for low-cost Mercury Cougar insurance. You can either spend your time calling around to compare prices or leverage the internet to get rate quotes. There are both good and bad ways to shop for car insurance so we’re going to tell you the proper way to price shop coverage for a Mercury and get the lowest possible price either online or from local insurance agents.

If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you can use these tips to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. This information will instruct you on the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. Drivers just need to know the proper way to compare prices online.

Smart buyers can cut insurance costs

Many factors are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but some are more transparent like your continuous coverage or your vehicle rating.

The items below are some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine prices.

  • Marriage equates to better premiums – Getting married may save some money on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse translates into being more financially stable and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
  • Poor credit can mean higher costs – Having a bad credit score factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. So if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your 2001 Mercury Cougar if you improve your credit rating. Insureds with good credit tend to be more responsible than drivers who have bad credit.
  • Extra policy coverages you don’t use – Insurance policies have a lot of extra add-on coverages that sound like a good idea at the time on your auto insurance policy. Add-on coverages like personal injury protection, accidental death, and extra equipment coverage could be just wasting money. These coverages may sound good when deciding what coverages you need, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. Vehicles built for safety result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If the Mercury Cougar has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may pay a lower rate.
  • Certain jobs raise premiums – Do you have a high-stress occupation? Careers such as lawyers, architects and emergency personnel generally have higher rates than the rest of us attributed to job stress and incredibly demanding work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as professors, students and homemakers get better rates on Cougar insurance.
  • Teenagers are high risk – Inexperience drivers have been known to be inattentive and easily distracted behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher. Older drivers are more responsible, are lower risk to insure and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.

Save with these discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every disount available in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the more common as well as some of the hidden ways to save on insurance coverage.

  • Early Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
  • Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off the medical payments premium.
  • Paperwork-free – Certain larger companies will give you a small discount for buying your policy on the web.
  • Own a Home – Just owning your own home may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give better prices if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.

As a footnote on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.

Large insurance coverage companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.

  • 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including teen driver, defensive driver, driver training, good student, homeowners, and student driver.
  • State Farm offers premium reductions for safe vehicle, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and good driver.
  • AAA may offer discounts for anti-theft, multi-policy, good student, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, education and occupation, and good driver.
  • Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include newly married, new move discount, multi-car, good student, teen driver discount, new vehicle discount, and safety features.
  • Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and homeowner.

When comparing rates, check with each insurance company how many discounts you can get. Discounts may not apply to policyholders in your area. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above, click here.

Special considerations

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • Is my 2001 Mercury Cougar covered for flood damage?
  • Why do I need rental car insurance?
  • What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Car insurance coverage information

Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as hail damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and fire damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole, driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle and rolling your car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Mercury Cougar.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Auto liability insurance – Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers things such as attorney fees, legal defense fees, emergency aid, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, prosthetic devices, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses and ambulance fees. They can be used to fill the gap from 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. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, someone dropped liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

We just covered some good ideas how to shop for 2001 Mercury Cougar insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the most savings is with the smaller companies.

Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, poor customer service, being labeled a high risk driver or even high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching insurance companies is easier than you think.

More articles