Are you at wits end from scraping the payment together to insure your Volvo every month? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers. Due to the increasing number of choices of insurance companies, it can be diffult for people to find the best insurer.
There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could use online quoting to get the quickest rates.
Most of the larger companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and every company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each individual auto insurance company.
To use this form to compare rates click to open in new window.
One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is that consumers can’t choose which providers to get pricing from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare rates, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you compare nearly identical information on every quote you get. If the quotes have different data it’s impossible to find the best deal for your Volvo S80.
Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise the complete list of policy discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving when you buy car insurance online. If you are not receiving all the discounts possible, you could be paying more than you need to.
Remember that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
If you would like to view auto insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above, click this link.
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. When you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.
The itemized list below are some of the major factors used by companies to determine your prices.
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions might point out whether you could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Consumers can’t get away from ads that claim the best car insurance rates by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make an identical promise that drivers will save a bundle if you get a free car insurance quote and switch your insurance coverage to their company.
But how can every company make the same claim? It’s all in the wording.
All companies offer their best rates for the type of driver that makes them money. One example of this type of driver might be between 25 and 40, has never had a claim, and does not commute to work. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best premium rates and will most likely save quite a bit of money when switching.
Drivers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile must pay a higher premium which results in the customer not purchasing. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. This is how insurance companies can lure you into getting a quote.
Because each company has a different risk profile, drivers must compare free car insurance quotes often. It’s just not possible to know with any certainty which company will have the best premium rates for your profile.
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the normal coverages available from car insurance companies.
Auto liability – This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, loss of income, court costs and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – This protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Volvo S80.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Collision – Collision coverage covers damage to your S80 resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers things such as damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter, rolling your car, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive auto coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as falling objects, hitting a deer and vandalism. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for expenses such as chiropractic care, prosthetic devices, hospital visits and EMT expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to get a better price on 2003 Volvo S80 insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest car insurance rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.