No car owner fancies paying their premiums for auto insurance, in particular when they could find better prices if they shop around.
Insurance companies such as Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm constantly bombard you with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the propoganda and take the time to shop coverage around.
Performing a rate comparison can take time and effort if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You could waste a few hours talking to insurance companies in your area, or you can utilize the web to get the quickest rates.
Most car insurance companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and every company then returns a price quote based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to every company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).
The one disadvantage to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose the providers you want to price. So if you want to select specific providers to compare prices, we have a listing of low cost insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Whichever method you choose, try to keep the exact same coverages for each price quote. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be nearly impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Saab 9-3. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. Just keep in mind that more quotes helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate.
Companies don’t always publicize all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has some of the more common and the more hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you buy insurance coverage online. If you do not check that you are getting every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.
It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
Some companies that may offer policyholders these benefits include:
When comparing rates, check with every company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies who offer cheap auto insurance quotes, click here.
When buying the best insurance coverage coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation will benefit from professional help.
If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as dental work, doctor visits, funeral costs and pain medications. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your 9-3 resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, backing into a parked car, hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Liability
This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy higher limits if possible.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Saab 9-3.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive coverages
This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as falling objects, hail damage, theft and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.