1999 Pontiac Firebird Car Insurance Quotes – 10 Tips for Best Rates

Looking for cheaper insurance rates for your Pontiac Firebird? I doubt anyone likes having to buy insurance, especially knowing they could find better prices if they shop around. Multiple car insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer to discover the definitive lowest rate

Consumers should take time to get comparison quotes quite often since insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the lowest premium rates for Firebird coverage on your last policy a different company probably has better prices today. There is too much inaccurate information about insurance online but we’re going to give you a bunch of ideas how to lower your insurance rates.

Compare free car insurance price quotes

The majority of larger companies allow you to get coverage prices online. Comparing rates online is fairly straightforward because you just enter your required coverages as requested by the quote form. Upon sending the form, their system collects credit information and your driving record and generates pricing information. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit a lot of sites and type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the lowest price.

Compare rates the easy way

The smarter way to find lower prices uses one simple form that analyzes rates from a bunch of companies at once. This type of form saves time, reduces the work, and makes comparison shopping much easier. As soon as the form is sent, it gets priced and you are able to buy your choice of the returned quotes.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and can result in significant savings.

In order to find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you complete the form with the coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will have rate comparison quotes for exact coverage.

Misconceptions in insurance advertisements

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads that claim the cheapest rates from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the point that you can save if you just switch your coverage.

How do they all charge lower premium rates? It’s all in the wording.

Different companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. One example of this type of insured may need to be a married female, has had continuous coverage, and chooses high deductibles. Someone who fits that profile receive the lowest rate quotes and will probably save when switching.

Potential insureds who do not meet those criteria will be quoted higher rates and this can result in the customer not buying. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save the amount stated. This is how companies can truthfully make claims that they all have the best rates.

Because every company is different, you really should do a price quote comparison at every renewal. You cannot predict which insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Verify you’re earning every discount

Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but you might be missing out on some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you get the savings.

  • ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Vehicles that have anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • E-sign Discounts – Some companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
  • Claim-Free Discount – Drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on insurance coverage quote when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save up to 15% on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
  • Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
  • Bundled Policy Discount – When you combine your auto and home insurance with one insurance company you could save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
  • Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a few companies such as GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike as long as you don’t have any claims prior to being involved in the accident.
  • Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Home Ownership Discount – Owning a house can help you save on insurance since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.

One thing to note about discounts is that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will bring down your policy premium.

Some companies that may include some of the discounts shown above include:

Before buying, ask every prospective company the best way to save money. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policies everywhere. To choose insurance companies with the best discounts, click this link.

When should I discuss my situation with an agent?

When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions might help in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
  • How much liability insurance is required?
  • Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
  • Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
  • Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
  • Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Information about specific coverages

Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the usual coverages found on most insurance policies.

Coverage for medical expenses

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses like EMT expenses, doctor visits and X-ray expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

This protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Frequently these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Comprehensive insurance

This 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 flooding, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and falling objects. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things such as medical expenses, structural damage, funeral expenses, loss of income and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage

This coverage pays for damage to your Firebird from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things such as crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

One last thing about your coverage

Some insurance coverage companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agents. Lower-priced insurance coverage can be found both online and from local agencies, so you need to compare both so you have a total pricing picture.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice collision coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.

More information is available at these links: