Are you a victim of an expensive auto insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are many Jacksonville consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance.
It’s safe to assume that car insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Insureds who shop around for cheaper rates are highly likely to buy a new policy because the odds are good of finding more affordable rates. A study showed that people who did price comparisons regularly saved over $3,400 over four years compared to those who never compared other company’s rates.
If saving money on insurance in Jacksonville is the reason you’re reading this, then having a grasp of how to get free comparison quotes and analyze insurance premiums can help simplify the process.
Steps to finding low-cost Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Jacksonville
Truthfully, the best way to find more affordable Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Jacksonville is to do a yearly price comparison from different companies who sell auto insurance in Florida.
First, try to understand how insurance works and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a bad credit score can be remedied by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Keep reading for more information to get low prices and earn a bigger discount.
Second, compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for many different companies.
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a better price and buy the policy, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Fourth, provide written notification to your current company to cancel the current policy and submit a down payment along with a signed application to the new company. As soon as you have the new policy, keep the new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
The most important part of shopping around is to use similar deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and a better comparison of the market.
Due to the large number of companies and agents to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to pick the lowest price insurance company.
Getting a more affordable price on insurance is pretty simple and can save money. Drivers just need to take a couple of minutes to compare rates online from several insurance companies.
Doing price comparisons online is so simple that it makes it a waste of time to drive to and from local insurance agencies. The fact that you can get quotes online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you prefer the professional guidance that only a licensed agent can provide. Although you can compare the best prices online but have a local agent actually write the policy.
The providers in the list below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in Jacksonville, FL. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit as many as you can to get the lowest price.
Mercury Mountaineer coverage statistics
The rate information shown next covers a range of insurance premium costs for Mercury Mountaineer models. Being able to understand how car insurance prices are determined can aid in making decisions on which insurance to purchase.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $256 | $504 | $504 | $30 | $152 | $1,446 | $121 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $290 | $504 | $504 | $30 | $152 | $1,480 | $123 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $290 | $594 | $504 | $30 | $152 | $1,570 | $131 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $290 | $594 | $504 | $30 | $152 | $1,570 | $131 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can lower or raise auto insurance rates greatly.
Drive safe and save
The illustration below demonstrates how citations and accidents impact Mercury Mountaineer insurance prices for each age group. The data is based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
Mercury Mountaineer insurance premiums by gender and age
The example below illustrates the difference between Mercury Mountaineer auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The data assumes no accidents or driving violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.
Mercury Mountaineer liability-only versus full coverage
The diagram below shows the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The information is based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
When to stop paying for full coverage
There is no specific rule to eliminate comp and collision coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your Mercury Mountaineer settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $5,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $500 a year for physical damage coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
Here’s why car insurance is not optional
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Mercury Mountaineer in Jacksonville, buying car insurance may not be optional for several reasons.
- Most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability coverage in order to drive the car. In Florida these limits are 10/20/10 which means you must have $10,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Mercury has a lienholder, it’s most likely the lender will force you to buy insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Mercury at a much higher premium rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
- Car insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Mercury as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your car greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. An average driver in America is overpaying over $700 annually so shop around every year to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Car insurance coverages for a Mercury Mountaineer
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass and a broken windshield. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Auto liability insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 10/20/10 that translate to a limit of $10,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $20,000, and a total limit of $10,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims like emergency aid, legal defense fees, funeral expenses, medical expenses and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Florida requires drivers to carry at least 10/20/10 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
The illustration below shows why minimum state limits may not be enough.
Insurance for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like X-ray expenses, nursing services and funeral costs. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Mountaineer from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for claims like colliding with a tree, rolling your car, hitting a mailbox, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your Mountaineer in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Mercury Mountaineer.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (10/20/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Be persistent to save money
When getting Jacksonville auto insurance quotes online, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost.
We just covered a lot of information how to get a better price on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Jacksonville. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting affordable Jacksonville auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the best price on car insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. Regional companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.
How to find cheaper quotes for Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Jacksonville
The best way to get cheaper auto insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from providers who provide car insurance in Jacksonville. Rates can be compared by following these steps.
- Gain an understanding of the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many risk factors that drive up the price like speeding and poor credit history can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Request rate estimates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the price quotes to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper price is available in Jacksonville. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Tell your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new carrier. Once the paperwork is finalized, place the new certificate verifying coverage in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is that you use the same liability limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get quotes from every company you can. This provides a fair rate comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
More tips and info about car insurance can be found in the articles below:
- What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a Kia Forte in Jacksonville? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Young Drivers in Jacksonville? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Jacksonville Car Insurance Quotes for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)