Lower Your 2012 Chevrolet Equinox Insurance Cost

Do you get overwhelmed by the crazy number of insurance providers in your area? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many choices that it is a real difficult job to find the best rates.

It is always a good idea to compare rates at least once a year because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the best quotes on Equinox insurance at your last renewal there may be better deals available now. There is lot of inaccurate information about insurance online but in a few minutes you can learn the easiest ways to save money.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Pricing the lowest cost auto insurance coverage can be fairly easy. Nevertheless, vehicle owners do need to understand the way companies compete online and apply this information to your search.

Insurance policy discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that you may not even be aware of. Most are applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags may get savings as much as 30%.
  • Theft Prevention System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and that can save you a little bit as well.
  • Driver Training Discounts – Successfully completing a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
  • Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment rather than paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
  • No Claim Discounts – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.

You should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

The best insurance companies and their offered discounts are included below.

  • Progressive may offer discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, good student, and online quote discount.
  • Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include bundle discounts, good student, homeowner, early shopping, and youthful driver.
  • Farm Bureau has discounts for renewal discount, good student, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, youthful driver, and driver training.
  • State Farm offers discounts for anti-theft, good student, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, driver’s education, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
  • GEICO discounts include federal employee, air bags, anti-lock brakes, multi-vehicle, and good student.
  • SAFECO has savings for bundle discounts, homeowner, accident prevention training, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and drive less.
  • Liberty Mutual includes discounts for exclusive group savings, multi-policy, newly retired, hybrid vehicle, new move discount, new graduate, and good student.

When quoting, ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply everywhere. To view insurance companies with discount rates, click here.

How to buy insurance

When shopping for insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rate quotes from lots of insurance companies. The best way to comparison shop is to get quotes online. This is quite simple and can be completed in several different ways.

The most recommended method to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This form keeps you from doing separate forms for every insurance company. One form gets coverage cost estimates instantly. It’s the fastest way to compare.

A less efficient way to find lower rates requires you to visit each company’s website and complete a new quote form. For example, we’ll assume you need rates from Farmers, Liberty Mutual and American Family. In order to get each rate, you would have to spend time going to each site individually and repeatedly enter your information, which can get old fast.

For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

Even if you have time, the least recommended way to find and compare rates is to drive around to different agent offices. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the personal advice of an agent trained in personal lines coverage. However, consumers can compare online quotes and still use a local agent.

How you compare quotes is your choice, just do your best to enter exactly the same coverage data on every quote you get. If you use different deductibles it’s not possible to determine which company has the best rates. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages could skew the results. And when comparison shopping, making a lot of price comparisons helps you find lower pricing. Not every company does online rate quotes, so it’s important to compare price quotes on coverage from those companies, too.

Reduce insurance rates with these tips

Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

  • Vehicles with better crash test results cost less to insure – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates directly to fewer claims and thus lower rates.
  • Raising deductibles saves money – The deductibles you choose define how much the insured will be required to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be rearending another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by road hazards. The more damage repair cost you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance on Equinox insurance.
  • Cheaper to insure females? – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown women are more cautious behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes get in fender benders at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. They also have more aggressive citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Inexpensive frequent policy claims are not good – If you file claims often, you should expect much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Car insurance companies award cheaper rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.
  • High credit scores save money – Having a good credit score will be a significant factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your 2012 Chevrolet Equinox if you improve your credit rating. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
  • Certain occupations pay higher auto insurance rates – Occupations like real estate brokers, business owners and accountants tend to have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and extremely grueling work hours. Other professions such as scientists, students and retirees have lower than average premiums on Equinox insurance.
  • Can a thief steal your car? – Buying a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all help stop vehicle theft.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For instance, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

  • Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
  • Am I getting all the discounts available?
  • Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
  • If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?
  • Am I covered if I hit a deer?

If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

What insurance coverages do you need?

Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses such as X-ray expenses, funeral costs and surgery. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Chevy Equinox.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive insurance

This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from flooding, vandalism and theft. 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 consider dropping full coverage.

Liability insurance

This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for things like funeral expenses, structural damage and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

Auto collision coverage

This will pay to fix damage to your Equinox resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims like crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail, rolling your car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

One last thing

Cost effective 2012 Chevy Equinox insurance can be sourced both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to save on 2012 Chevy Equinox insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting low cost car insurance. Drivers may discover the lowest rates are with an unexpected company.

When shopping online for insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your objective should be to get the best coverage possible at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.

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