Being forced to pay for expensive auto insurance premiums can empty your monthly budget and force you to prioritize other expenses.
Because you have many companies to choose from, it can be diffult for drivers to locate the lowest cost insurer.
Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes periodically because auto insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best quotes for Odyssey insurance a year ago other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you the fastest way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Buying car insurance is not that difficult. In a nutshell, everyone who is shopping for insurance coverage should be able to cut their insurance bill. But vehicle owners must learn the way companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.
When comparison shopping, there are several ways of comparing price quotes from companies that offer insurance coverage in your state. The simplest method to lower the rate you pay for 1999 Honda Odyssey insurance is to get quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in a couple of different ways.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.
The method you choose is up to you, but compare apples-to-apples coverage information for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to determine which company has the best rates. Just a small difference in limits may result in large price differences. Just remember that comparing more rates from different companies gives you a better chance of getting more affordable rates.
Well-known insurance coverage companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all advertise claims about how much you will save just by switching your coverage to them. How does every insurance coverage company sell you cheaper insurance coverage?
Insurance coverage companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a driver they prefer might have to be over age 30, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will get low prices and have a good chance to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will probably be forced to pay a higher rate and business going elsewhere. If you listen closely, the ads state “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save the amount stated. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make it sound like they have such great premium rates. This really illustrates why drivers should do a rate comparison at every renewal. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance coverage company will give you the biggest savings.
Multiple criteria are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, although some other factors are more transparent like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.
The items below are just a few of the factors used by companies to determine your prices.
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to you.
As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way.
A list of auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are detailed below.
When getting a coverage quote, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Savings may not apply to policies in your area. To choose insurers that offer many of these discounts, click here.
When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can aid in determining if you will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Learning about specific coverages of insurance can help you determine the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverages available from insurance companies.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass, fire damage, theft and falling objects. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Liability auto insurance
This coverage will cover damage that occurs to a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as structural damage, legal defense fees, loss of income, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Collision protection
Collision coverage pays for damage to your Odyssey resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims like sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car, crashing into a building and hitting a mailbox. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for medical expenses
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for expenses like pain medications, hospital visits, dental work and rehabilitation expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price, but do not skimp to save money.
We just showed you a lot of information how to reduce 1999 Honda Odyssey insurance car insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheap auto insurance. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers often have lower premium rates on specific markets compared to the large companies like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
Budget-friendly insurance coverage can be purchased online and from local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance coverage companies may not provide online quoting and these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.