No normal person loves paying for insurance coverage, particularly when they could lower their rates if they shopped around.
Due to the abundance of companies and agents to choose from, it can be hard to pick the most affordable insurance coverage company.
Finding affordable coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, anyone who is shopping for auto insurance will more than likely be able to save money. But drivers benefit from understanding how companies sell insurance online.
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t know the easiest way. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to agents in your area, or you could use online quotes to maximize your effort.
Most major companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and each company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To participate in this free quote system, click here to start a free quote.
The only drawback to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly the insurers to get quotes from. So if you want to choose individual companies to request quotes from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just ensure you’re using the exact same information on every quote you get. If your comparisons have differing limits you will not be able to decipher which rate is best. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages or limits may cause a big price difference. Just remember that comparing a large number of companies will increase your chances of finding the best rates. Not every company does rate quotes online, so it’s important to compare price estimates from those companies as well.
When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions could help you determine if your insurance needs may require specific advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the usual coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for immediate expenses such as EMT expenses, pain medications, chiropractic care and surgery. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Collision insurance
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and colliding with another moving vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Auto liability insurance
Liability coverage will cover damage that occurs to people or other property. It protects you from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t 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. Your policy might show limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as funeral expenses, medical services, attorney fees and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.