Save on 2003 Dodge Stratus Car Insurance Rates

Feel like you have an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? It’s a common feeling and there are a lot of people just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Lots of car insurance companies contend for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the best coverage at the lowest price

You need to do price comparisons quite often because insurance prices go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the best rate for Stratus coverage a couple years back you will most likely find a better premium rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to quote online to buy cheaper auto insurance.

If you have insurance now or are just looking to switch companies, you can follow these tips to shop for the lowest rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage is not rocket science. Vehicle owners only need an understanding of the tricks to compare price quotes online.

Earn discounts to get lower-cost insurance rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but once in a while a discount must be inquired about before you will receive the discount.

  • E-sign Discounts – Certain companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy on the internet.
  • Buy New and Save – Buying a new car instead of a used car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – By making one initial payment as opposed to paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • Drivers Education – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers sucessfully take a drivers education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to use a seat belt may be able to save a few bucks on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
  • Life Insurance – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you lower insurancerates if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
  • Braking Control Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control can stop better under adverse conditions so companies give up to a 10% discount.
  • Passenger Safety Discount – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of 25 to 30%.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles may allow you to get better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents get the best insurance rates compared to bad drivers.

As a sidenote, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.

A list of insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts include:

  • State Farm may offer discounts for driver’s education, good driver, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and multiple policy.
  • American Family includes discounts for multi-vehicle, early bird, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, Steer into Savings, and good student.
  • GEICO offers discounts for federal employee, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
  • 21st Century may have discounts that include air bags, early bird, homeowners, driver training, and 55 and older.
  • Progressive has savings for online quote discount, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, continuous coverage, online signing, and homeowner.

If you want inexpensive insurance quotes, ask every company which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts might not apply in your area.

The quickest way to compare policy rates is to know the trick all the major auto insurance companies allow for online access to give free rates quotes. The only thing you need to do is give them rating details including marital status, whether you have decent credit, the make and model of your vehicles, and how much you drive. Your information is automatically sent to insurance carriers in your area and you get price estimates very quickly.

To compare multiple company rates now, click here and enter the information requested.

Learn how to get insurance cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the factors that aid in calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with lower rates.

The factors shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

  • Your vocation and insurance rates – Occupational choices like doctorsair traffic controllers and miners tend to pay higher premiums than the average policyholder because of intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Other careers such as professors, students and homemakers have lower than average premiums for Stratus coverage.
  • Where you call home – Having an address in small towns and rural areas has definite advantages when shopping for auto insurance. People who live in big cities have more auto accidents and longer commutes to work. Less people translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims
  • Higher deductibles save money – Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if a claim is determined to be covered. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some coverage claims are a windshield broken by a bird, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by road hazards. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance for Stratus coverage.
  • Your credit rating is important – Having a bad credit score factor in determining what you pay. Therefore, if your credit rating could use some work, you could pay less to insure your 2003 Dodge Stratus by improving your rating. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better risks to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When buying the best auto insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
  • How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Insurance advertising tricks

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings for switching from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise that drivers can save some big amount if you change your policy.

How does each company charge lower premium rates? Here is the trick they use.

Most companies quote the lowest rates for the driver that will generate a profit. One example of a profitable customer might be described as between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured that meets those criteria will most likely get cheap premium rates and will most likely save quite a bit of money when switching.

People who do not fit the ideal profile will be charged more expensive rates and the customer buying from a different company. If you listen closely, the ads state “people who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much when switching. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. This really illustrates why you really need to compare many company’s prices. You cannot predict the company that will have the best premium rates for your profile.

Insurance coverage options for a 2003 Dodge Stratus

Understanding the coverages of insurance helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.

Collision protection

Collision coverage pays for damage to your Stratus from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability

Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as structural damage, medical expenses, funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like vandalism, theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane and fire damage. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Dodge Stratus.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Medical costs insurance

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses like EMT expenses, funeral costs, hospital visits, nursing services and dental work. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Pennies from heaven

You just read many ways to get a better price on 2003 Dodge Stratus insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheap insurance. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.

Lower-priced car insurance is possible from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not offer price quotes online and these small insurance companies only sell coverage through independent agents.

When getting insurance quotes online, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

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