No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, in particular when their premiums are too high.
Because you have many options when it comes to auto insurance, it is very difficult to find the most affordable car insurance company.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is not rocket science. In a nutshell, everyone who is required by state law to have insurance coverage will be able to save money. But consumers do need to understand how big insurance companies market on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You could waste a few hours talking about coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use the internet to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and at least one company returns a rated price based on that data. This eliminates the need for quote requests for every auto insurance company.
To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).
The one downside to using this type of system is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to compare, we have a listing of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare the exact same quote information for each price quote. If you have different values for each quote you will not be able to determine the lowest rate for your Chevy S-10. Slightly different coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding the best rates.
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.
A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts, click this link.
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether you might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverage types available from insurance companies.
UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Collision coverage – This covers damage to your S-10 resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things like scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Medical costs insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for immediate expenses for things like rehabilitation expenses, X-ray expenses, pain medications, EMT expenses and hospital visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Auto liability – This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as medical services, court costs, bail bonds and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from 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 insurance covers claims like hitting a bird, fire damage, damage from getting keyed and rock chips in glass. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
When shopping online for insurance, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.
Low-cost 1996 Chevy S-10 insurance can be found online and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Additional insurance information is located on the following sites: