Save on 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Car Insurance Quotes

Have you finally had enough of scraping the payment together to insure your Mercedes-Benz every month? You are no different than many other consumers.

Online insurance companies like Allstate, Progressive and GEICO all claim big savings with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the propoganda and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage is quite easy. Although car owners do need to learn how the larger insurance companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Informed consumers know how to find car insurance cheaper

When buying car insurance it’s important to understand some of the elements that are used to determine your premiums. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

  • Prevent theft and save – Purchasing a vehicle that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you some money. Anti-theft features such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all help stop car theft.
  • Premiums drop with age – Young drivers tend to be inattentive in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher. Older insureds are more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims , and usually have better credit.
  • Car insurance rates and your employer – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Careers such as fire fighterspolice officers and financial analysts generally have higher rates than the rest of us due to stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations like farmers, engineers and performers pay lower than average rates for SLK-Class insurance.
  • Increase coverage deductibles and save – Protection for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Some examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, hitting a deer, and rolling your vehicle. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles tell how much you are required to spend if the claim is covered. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the less your car insurance will be for SLK-Class insurance.
  • Avoid unnecessary extra policy coverages – There are a ton of additional extra coverages that can add up on your SLK-Class policy. Coverage for things like vanishing deductibles, towing, and extra life insurance coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
  • Don’t get traffic citations – Good drivers get better rates as compared to careless drivers. Only having one ticket may cause rates to rise to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions might be required by their state to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to legally drive.
  • Big city or small town – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Drivers in populated areas have traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. Less people translates into fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

Affordable insurance quotes with discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there are discounts available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some of these disounts will be visible when you complete an application, but occassionally some discounts must be inquired about before being credited.

  • Theft Deterent – Vehicles that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best insurance rates as opposed to frequent claim filers.
  • Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you could save up to 20% off your total premium.
  • First Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but a few companies such as Allstate and Progressive will let one accident slide before they charge you more for coverage if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
  • Discounts for Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% for SLK-Class insurance but check with your company.
  • Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more for SLK-Class insurance compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.

As a sidenote, some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A few companies who might offer most of these discounts possibly include:

If you are trying to find the cheapest insurance coverage quotes, ask every prospective company which discounts they offer. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area. To find companies that provide some of the discounts listed above, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Well-known auto insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO endlessly run ads on television and other media. They all make an identical promise that drivers can save some big amount after switching your policy. How does each company charge lower premium rates? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have specific guidelines for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, this type of risk profile might be described as over the age of 45, has few claims, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any customer that hits that “sweet spot” will probably get cheap rates and will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who don’t meet those criteria will be quoted higher premiums which results in business going elsewhere. If you listen closely, the ads state “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much when switching. That is how companies can truthfully make claims that they all have the best prices.

Different companies use different criteria so it is so important to compare many company’s prices. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the best premium rates for your profile.

Tailor your insurance coverage to you

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
  • Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
  • How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
  • How much can I save by bundling my policies?
  • Why am I required to buy liability insurance?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Information about specific coverages

Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Liability coverage

This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims like court costs, medical expenses and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy as much as you can afford.

Collision insurance

This coverage pays for damage to your SLK-Class from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like nursing services, EMT expenses and dental work. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

This will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from flooding, rock chips in glass, falling objects and vandalism. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

More choices the merrier

Cheaper 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don’t offer online rate quotes and usually these smaller providers sell through independent agencies.

When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

More information is available at these links: