Feeling guilty for buying overpriced auto insurance? Believe me, you’re not the only one.
Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance continually bombard you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction and find the best price available.
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the factors that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that can earn you lower premium levels. Many factors are considered when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like your driving record, although some other factors are more obscure like where you live or your vehicle rating.
The following are most of the major factors used by companies to determine your premiums.
Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list all available discounts very well, so we break down some of the best known as well as some of the hidden ways to save on car insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.
A few popular companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are shown below.
It’s a good idea to ask each company or agent which discounts can lower your rates. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your area. To locate insurers with discount rates, click this link.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover if your situation could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Collision insurance
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your A4 from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability
Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show values of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, falling objects and hail damage. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for things like funeral costs, pain medications, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Audi A4.
Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
We covered some good ideas how you can save on 2011 Audi A4 insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.
Budget-conscious 2011 Audi A4 insurance can be purchased on the web and with local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not have the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional carriers only sell coverage through local independent agents.
As you quote car insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.