Are you at wits end from scraping nickels together to keep your car insured? You are no different than many other drivers. Many insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company and get the definite lowest rate possible.
Some providers don’t always advertise every disount available very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known as well as the least known discounts that you may qualify for.
Don’t be surprised that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The best insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.
If you are trying to find affordable car insurance quotes, ask every insurance company the best way to save money. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area. To see insurance companies who offer cheap insurance quotes, click this link.
There are a lot of ways to shop for insurance, and some are less time-consuming than others. You could spend your day talking about coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use the web to get pricing more quickly.
Most major companies enroll in a system where insurance shoppers complete one form, and at least one company returns a rated price based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions to every company.
To find out how much you can save on insurance click here to start a free quote.
The only downside to comparing rates this way is that consumers can’t choose the providers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, try to use apples-to-apples coverage limits with each company. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to get a fair rate comparison.
Lots of things are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving history, but other factors are not as apparent such as whether you are married or your commute time.
The items below are some of the major factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set rates.
When choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions might help in determining whether or not you will benefit from professional help.
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of insurance coverage companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Knowing the specifics of insurance aids in choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the usual coverages offered by insurance companies.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like theft, hitting a bird, falling objects, hail damage and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision insurance
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Mystique resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a ditch, rolling your car, sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as pain medications, nursing services, chiropractic care and funeral costs. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability
This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims like attorney fees, legal defense fees, court costs, repair costs for stationary objects and medical services. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This provides 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 Mercury Mystique.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
More affordable insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents, so you need to shop car insurance with both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers may not offer online price quotes and many times these regional carriers only sell through independent agencies.
When shopping online for insurance, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, someone dropped collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Additional detailed information is located in these articles: