Are you at wits end from robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay high insurance coverage rates every month? You are in the same boat as many other consumers. Because there are so many different company options, it can be impossible to choose the right insurance coverage company.
Buying car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Consumers just need to understand the most effective way to shop their coverage around on the web.
There are a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance, but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You can spend countless hours talking to local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Most car insurance companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and every company provides a quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for every auto insurance company.
To use this form to compare rates click to open in new window.
The single downside to comparing rates this way is you can’t choose the providers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a page of the cheapest auto insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but try to keep nearly identical coverage data for each price quote. If each company quotes different data you can’t possibly truly determine the lowest rate.
Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but there may be some discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but a few must be inquired about before they will apply.
Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
The best auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
Double check with all the companies to apply every possible discount. Savings may not apply to policyholders in your area. To see a list of auto insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here.
When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, 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 can provide invaluable advice.
Knowing the specifics of insurance can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the normal coverages available from insurance companies.
Auto liability – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage pays for claims like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses, court costs, funeral expenses and medical services. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, 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 bills for things like hospital visits, doctor visits, X-ray expenses, chiropractic care and dental work. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from getting keyed, theft and hail damage. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Collision – This coverage pays for damage to your 626 resulting from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims like backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.