Shopping for low cost insurance coverage can be challenging if you’ve never compared online price comparisons. But relax because finding lower rates is easier than you think.
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain reductions will be credited when you get a quote, but some must be inquired about before you get the savings.
As a sidenote, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
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When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not you might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Popular auto insurance providers such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. They all seem to convey the message that drivers can save some big amount if you change your policy. It sounds good, but how can they all charge less that you’re paying now? You have to listen carefully.
Insurance providers have underwriting criteria for the type of customer that will generate a profit. One example of a desirable insured may need to be a female over age 40, has no claims, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Anybody who fits those characteristics will get a cheap rate quote and have a good chance to save some money.
Insureds who fall short of the “perfect” profile must pay higher prices and the customer not buying. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save the amount stated. This is how insurance companies can confidently make claims like that.
Because of the profiling, you really should quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict with any certainty which company will have the lowest rates.
Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from flooding, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, theft, hitting a bird and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Collision insurance
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things like sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Auto liability
This will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for things like structural damage, funeral expenses, bail bonds and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Normally these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for immediate expenses like dental work, nursing services, surgery and X-ray expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
People who switch companies do it for many reasons like policy cancellation, policy non-renewal, high prices or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, switching companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
You just read many ideas to get a better price on 1993 Dodge Shadow insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote insurance coverage, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable insurance coverage. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.
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