Are you intimidated by the crazy number of car insurance choices that you can choose from? Many other people are as well. Drivers have such a vast assortment of choices available that it is a lot of work to find a cheaper company.
Comparing auto insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend countless hours driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use the web to get the quickest rates.
Many insurance companies take part in a program that enables customers to complete one form, and each company can give them a price determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company you want a rate for. To use this form to compare rates click here to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to doing it this way is you can’t choose which insurance companies you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose individual companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in your area. View list of insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but make sure you compare identical coverage limits for every company. If you compare different liability limits it will be very difficult to find the best deal for your Honda Odyssey. Even a minor difference in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes provides better odds of finding a lower rate.
When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from professional advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for things like hospital visits, ambulance fees, doctor visits, surgery and funeral costs. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto liability insurance
This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for things like legal defense fees, pain and suffering and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Honda Odyssey.
Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision insurance
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Odyssey caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for things such as crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hail damage, damage from getting keyed, hitting a deer, a broken windshield and fire damage. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.