Having to pay for high-priced insurance can draw down your funds and make it tough to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to ensure you are getting the best deal.
You have multiple insurers to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare company pricing.
Finding the best rates is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using this information. But drivers benefit from understanding how the larger insurance companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.
Car insurance can be pricey, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. Some discounts will apply when you quote, but some must be inquired about before being credited.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride.
A list of car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are included below.
It’s a good idea to ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. A few discounts may not apply to policies in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of companies with discount rates, click this link.
The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes from many auto insurance companies in your state. The best way to compare rates consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
Probably the best way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This style of form eliminates the need for repetitive form entry for each price estimate. A single form will get you price quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
Another way to compare prices requires a trip to the website for every company you want to comare and repeat the quote process again and again. For sake of this example, let’s say you need rates from Progressive, Allstate and American Family. You would be required to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but make absolute certain that you use identical information for each comparison quote. If you have differing limits it will be very difficult to make a fair comparison for your Lincoln MKS. Just slight variations in coverages may result in large price differences. Keep in mind that making a lot of price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding more affordable insurance.
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the factors that help determine your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, although some other factors are not quite as obvious such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.
When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your situation will benefit from professional help.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like rock chips in glass, damage from flooding and theft. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your 2016 Lincoln MKS.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for bills like doctor visits, EMT expenses and dental work. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
This coverage covers damage to your MKS caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, backing into a parked car and hitting a mailbox. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.
Liability can pay for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, legal defense fees, loss of income and funeral expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
In this article, we presented a lot of ways to lower your 2016 Lincoln MKS insurance premium rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies. These companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
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