If online auto insurance comparisons are new to you, it’s easy to be baffled thanks to the incredible selection insurance agents and companies competing for your business.
The are a couple different ways to compare prices from companies that offer insurance in your state. The recommended way to compare rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make darn sure you compare equivalent information for each price quote. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison. Just a small difference in limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that comparing more rates from different companies will enable you to find more affordable rates.
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.
Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for things like structural damage, funeral expenses and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Medical expense insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for immediate expenses such as ambulance fees, rehabilitation expenses, funeral costs and chiropractic care. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail 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 to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hail damage, hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and falling objects. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.