Are you intimidated by the number of car insurance choices available to you? Many other drivers are as well. consumers have such a vast assortment of choices available that it can quickly become a burden to find better prices.
You need to compare rates on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best premium rates for XJR insurance a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the easiest way to lower your annual insurance bill.
If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Buying the lowest cost auto insurance is not that difficult. But consumers need to learn how insurance companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.
Performing a rate comparison can take time and effort if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You could waste time driving to insurance companies in your area, or you could use online quoting to get prices fast.
Many companies belong to a marketplace where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each company.
To compare pricing click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose which providers you want to price. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare, we have assembled a list of insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
The method you choose is up to you, but make sure you use equivalent coverage data with each company. If your comparisons have different liability limits it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Just keep in mind that comparing all the rates in your area helps you find a lower rate. Not every company does online price quotes, so you also need to get prices on coverage from those companies, too.
Companies don’t list the complete list of policy discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of both the well known and the more hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates.
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.
A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are detailed below.
If you are trying to find cheaper auto insurance quotes, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered in your area. To choose insurance coverage companies that offer many of these discounts, click here.
When choosing adequate coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if you could use an agent’s help.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Collision coverage protection
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things like rolling your car, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
This protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Liability insurance
This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability insurance covers claims such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical services, emergency aid and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills for nursing services, X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like a broken windshield, hail damage, damage from getting keyed and vandalism. 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 it’s not worth carrying full coverage.