Pretty sure you bought an underperforming, overpriced insurance coverage policy? You’re in good company because you’re not alone.
Many auto insurance companies compete for your hard-earned dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer and get the definite best rate
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a few hours (or days) discussing policy coverages with agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get the quickest rates.
Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company then returns a price quote based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose which insurance companies to get quotes from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to compare, we have a listing of the cheapest car insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.
You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but ensure you are comparing the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you compare different deductibles it will be impossible to get a fair rate comparison. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages or limits could mean much higher rates. It’s important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes helps increase your odds of locating the best price. Not every company does online price quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare quotes from the smaller companies as well.
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be significant discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain reductions will be credited when you get a quote, but some need to be specifically requested before they will apply.
A quick disclaimer, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will definitely lower your policy premiums.
Larger insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.
When getting free car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts may not apply to policyholders everywhere. To see insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above, follow this link.
When it comes to buying coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the usual coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
This will pay to fix damage to your Sentra resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims such as hitting a mailbox, driving through your garage door and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, theft, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Nissan Sentra.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.
Liability car insurance
This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against things like medical services, attorney fees, emergency aid, loss of income and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.