Are you at wits end from not being able to scrape enough together each month for auto insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers.
There is such a variety of auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste hours talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
The majority of car insurance companies participate in an industry program where insurance shoppers send in one quote, and each company then gives them pricing. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each company.
To find out how much you can save on auto insurance click here to start a free quote.
One minor caviat to doing it this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies to get quotes from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we have assembled a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click to view list.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, try to use apples-to-apples coverages and limits on every price quote you get. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one then you won’t be able to make a fair rate comparison. Just slight variations in insurance coverages can make a big difference in price. It’s important to know that comparing all the rates in your area will increase your chances of finding a better price. Some companies don’t provide online quotes, so it’s important to compare price quotes from them, too.
Insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there are discounts available that may help make it more affordable. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but a few must be asked about before you get the savings.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.
Popular insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are:
When comparing rates, check with all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. Discounts may not be offered in every state. For a list of insurers that offer many of these discounts, click here.
It’s important that you understand some of the things that are used to determine auto insurance rates. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to cheaper rates.
The following are some of the factors used by your company to calculate your rates.
When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you may require specific advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Coverage for medical expenses
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses such as ambulance fees, prosthetic devices, pain medications, hospital visits and EMT expenses. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Liability insurance
Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as medical expenses, structural damage, loss of income and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive car insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from getting keyed, vandalism and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision insurance
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Sorento resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers claims such as crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail, rolling your car and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
You just read many ways to reduce 2013 Kia Sorento insurance premium rates online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get prices for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
Lower-priced auto insurance is attainable on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not offer rate quotes online and usually these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agencies.
For more information, take a look at the articles below: