Trying to find cheaper insurance coverage rates for your Chevrolet Malibu? No sane person is fond of buying insurance coverage, especially when it costs too dang much. Due to the abundance of online and local companies to choose from, it is very difficult to pick the lowest cost insurance coverage provider.
It’s a great practice to do price comparisons on a regular basis because insurance coverage prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best quotes for Malibu coverage a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because you’re about to find out how to use online quotes to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
The best way to compare rates is to take advantage of the fact all the major auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to give rate comparisons. The only thing you need to do is provide a small amount of information like how much education you have, if your license is active, how many miles driven, and whether you are single or married. The data is instantly submitted to many different companies and they respond with quotes very quickly.
Some companies don’t list all disounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of a few of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using when you buy car insurance online.
You can save money using discounts, but some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To view insurance coverage companies with discount rates, follow this link.
When buying the best insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.
Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most insurance policies.
Collision insurance
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree, driving through your garage door, rolling your car and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Liability insurance
Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for things like loss of income, legal defense fees, funeral expenses and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as vandalism, a broken windshield, hail damage, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for EMT expenses, funeral costs, X-ray expenses and chiropractic care. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay