Are you kicking yourself for buying overpriced car insurance? Believe me, you’re not alone.
Consumers have many insurers to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.
To find the best insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from local insurance companies. The easiest way by far to find cheaper 2012 Chevy Silverado 2500HD rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in several different ways.
The easiest and least time consuming way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for every company. A single, simple form will return price quotes from all major companies.
A less efficient way to compare rate quotes consists of visiting the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to view quotes from Auto-Owners, Farmers and Liberty Mutual. To do that, you would have to spend time going to each site individually to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
The approach you take is up to you, just ensure you’re using apples-to-apples coverage information on every quote you get. If the quotes have differing limits then you won’t be able to make a fair rate comparison. Quoting even small variations in limits may result in a large different in cost. And when comparing insurance rates, know that comparing more rates from different companies will enable you to find better pricing.
Big name companies like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with television, radio, and online ads. All the ads tend to make the same promise that you’ll save big just by switching your policy. It sounds good, but how can they all charge less that you’re paying now?
Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. For example, a profitable customer may need to be over age 30, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” will get a cheap rate quote and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Potential insureds who do not match the ideal profile will get more expensive rates and this results in business not being written. The trick is to say “customers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That is how companies can make claims that they all have the best premium rates. Because of these techniques, it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict with any certainty which company will have the best car insurance rates at this point in time.
Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you might already qualify for some discounts that you may not even be aware of. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be inquired about before being credited.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To see companies who offer discounts, click here to view.
When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Coverage for medical expenses – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for things like nursing services, dental work and hospital visits. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your 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 and may carry a deductible
Coverage for liability – Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like court costs, medical expenses and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Collision coverages – This coverage pays for damage to your Silverado 2500HD caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter and colliding with a tree. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive auto insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like hail damage, damage from flooding, rock chips in glass and theft. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
When you buy insurance online, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped collision coverage only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
Lower-priced 2012 Chevy Silverado 2500HD insurance can be found both online and from local insurance agents, so get free insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide online rate quotes and many times these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.