I doubt anyone is fond of buying car insurance, particularly when they could lower their rates if they shopped around.
Popular companies such as State Farm and GEICO constantly blast consumers with ads and it can be hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Choosing the best insurance company for you is not rocket science. But vehicle owners must learn how big insurance companies price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.
The majority of larger companies make it easy to get coverage price quotes on the web. Doing online price comparisons is fairly straightforward as you simply type in your required coverages as detailed in the form. Upon sending the form, their rating system pulls your credit score and driving record and quotes a price based on the data you entered. Quoting online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to a lot of sites and fill out multiple forms gets old quite quickly. But it’s also necessary to get many rate quotes in order to find a lower rate.
There is a better way to compare rates
An easier way to locate the lowest prices utilizes a single form that gets prices from more than one company. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates repetitive work, and makes online price comparison much easier. Once the form is submitted, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy any of the resulting price quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. This process only takes a few minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
If you want to find out if lower rates are available, simply click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with the coverages just like they are on your policy. This ensures you will be getting a price comparison using the exact same coverages.
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that may help make it more affordable. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of purchase, but some must be asked for in order for you to get them.
Remember that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
A list of car insurance companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.
Before purchasing a policy, check with every prospective company how you can save money. Some credits might not be offered on policies everywhere. For a list of car insurance companies who offer online car insurance quotes, click here.
When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Respected companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television, radio, and online ads. All the companies seem to make the promise about saving some big amount if you change to their company. How does each company save you money? Here is the trick they use.
Insurance companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer that makes them money. One example of a profitable insured might be described as over the age of 45, owns a home, and insures a new vehicle. A propective insured that meets those criteria will get a cheap rate quote and will most likely cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will probably have to pay a higher rate which results in the customer buying from someone else. The ads say “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s why companies can advertise the savings. Because of this risk profiling, it is so important to do a rate comparison at every renewal. Because you cannot predict with any certainty which company will fit your personal profile best.
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your 1998 Acura CL.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Coverage for medical expenses
Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as chiropractic care, hospital visits, prosthetic devices and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability
Liability coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability coverage protects against things like emergency aid, court costs, legal defense fees and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive auto insurance
This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding, hail damage and theft. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent agents. Budget-conscious 1998 Acura CL insurance is definitely available online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture.
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
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