Cheapest Portland Mercury Mountaineer Insurance

A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that the vast majority of Oregon car insurance customers kept buying from the same company for a minimum of four years, and just short of a majority have never compared rates to find cheap insurance. U.S. consumers can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just feel it’s too hard to compare rates.

The most effective way to save on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Portland is to compare prices at least once a year from insurers in Oregon.

• Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about individual coverages and the steps you can take to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices like inattentive driving and an unfavorable credit rating can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
• Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from many different companies.
• Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a better price and switch companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.

The key thing to know about shopping around is to try to compare identical coverages on every quote and to quote with as many carriers as you can. This helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.

If you have coverage now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to get lower rates and still get good coverage. This information will let you in on the best methods to compare rates. Comparison shoppers only need an understanding of the tricks to compare rates from many different companies online.

Finding a better price on insurance isn’t really that difficult. All that’s required is to spend a few minutes comparing rate quotes to find the company with the cheapest Mercury Mountaineer rate quotes.

The companies shown below have been selected to offer price comparisons in Portland, OR. To find cheap auto insurance in Portland, we recommend you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.

Car insurance is an important decision

Despite the high cost, buying car insurance may be required for several reasons.

• The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific limits of liability insurance coverage if you want to drive legally. In Oregon these limits are 25/50/20 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you have a loan on your Mercury Mountaineer, most lenders will force you to have physical damage coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Mercury at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
• Car insurance preserves both your Mercury Mountaineer and your personal assets. It will also pay for medical bills for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.

The benefits of insuring your Mountaineer definitely exceed the price paid, especially with large liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Portland overpays as much as $865 each year so you should quote rates each time the policy renews to ensure rates are competitive.

Coverage analysis

The premium information displayed next highlights estimates of insurance premium costs for Mercury Mountaineer models. Having a better idea how premiums are formulated can be of help when making smart buying decisions.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in your specific Portland location which can alter coverage prices significantly.

An analysis of deductible level

A question often asked by Portland drivers is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The rates shown below determine the difference in cost between low and high physical damage deductibles. The first table uses a $250 deductible for physical damage and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in specific Portland garaging location which can alter coverage prices substantially.

We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $13 more each month or $156 for a full year across all Mercury Mountaineer models than buying the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to average at a minimum 19 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead by going with a higher deductible. Below is how this decision is made.

One important issue to know is that a higher deductible level results in a higher out-of-pocket expense when you have to file a claim. You should have some savings in the bank in the event you have to pay the deductible.

Safe drivers pay less for auto insurance

The information below illustrates how traffic citations and accident claims can drive up Mercury Mountaineer insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

Gender-based auto insurance rates by age

The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer car insurance rates for male and female drivers. The data is based on no accidents or driving violations, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.

Full coverage versus liability only rates

The information below compares Mercury Mountaineer insurance premiums with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rates are based on no violations or accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to drop comp and collision

There is no definitive rule of when to eliminate comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s say your Mercury Mountaineer claim settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying more than $300 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

There are a few cases where buying only liability insurance is not advised. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage.

Save with these rate reducing discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the more hidden credits available to bring down your rates.

• Accident Forgiveness – Not necessarily a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free before the accident.
• Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars and trucks with ABS braking systems or traction control are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Early Renewal Discounts – Select larger companies give a discount for switching policies before your current coverage expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.
• E-sign – Certain insurance companies provide a small discount for signing up on the internet.
• Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% compared to accident prone drivers.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems help deter theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
• Low Miles Discount – Keeping the miles down on your Mercury can earn discounted insurance rates on garaged vehicles.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, you aren’t that lucky.

The information below compares Mercury Mountaineer insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, Oregon state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, marriage, multi-car, and claim-free discounts applied.

A few of the larger companies and a selection of discounts include:

• State Farm may offer discounts for driver’s education, defensive driving training, accident-free, safe vehicle, multiple policy, good student, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• Nationwide may have discounts that include family plan, defensive driving, accident-free, multi-policy, business or organization, easy pay, and good student.
• GEICO discounts include multi-policy, defensive driver, membership and employees, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, and seat belt use.
• AAA has discounts for multi-policy, pay-in-full, multi-car, education and occupation, anti-theft, good student, and AAA membership discount.
• 21st Century includes discounts for teen driver, automatic seat belts, 55 and older, early bird, driver training, and anti-lock brakes.
• The Hartford offers discounts including good student, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, anti-theft, driver training, and bundle.

When getting a coverage quote, ask each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be available in every state.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When it comes to choosing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are unique to you and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether your personal situation may require specific advice.

• Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
• How much liability coverage do I need in Oregon?
• At what point should I drop full coverage?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Should I rate my vehicle as business use?
• What if a claim settlement is too low?
• Can I get a multi-policy discount?
• Is coverage enough to protect my assets?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Portland car insurance companies ranked

Ending up with a high-quality insurance company can be a challenge considering how many choices there are in Portland. The company rank data shown below can help you select which coverage providers you want to consider when shopping your coverage around.

Top 10 Portland Car Insurance Companies Overall

1. USAA
2. American Family
3. State Farm
4. The Hartford
5. AAA Insurance
6. GEICO
7. The General
8. Titan Insurance
9. Progressive
10. Mercury Insurance