1997 Ford F-350 Car Insurance Quotes – 9 Tips to Save

Want better auto insurance rates for your Ford F-350? Finding affordable auto insurance over the internet can seem to be rather challenging for people who are new to comparison shopping online. With a ridiculous number of insurers available, how can anyone have a chance to compare every company to locate the best available rates?

Discounts on 1997 Ford F-350 insurance

Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but some must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.

  • Accident Waiver – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of up to 25% or more.
  • Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
  • Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
  • Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Resident Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
  • Discount for Life Insurance – Some companies give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off for F-350 insurance with a few car insurance companies.
  • Homeowners Savings – Owning a house may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will cut your premiums.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts, click this link.

Car insurance myths debunked

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads in print and on television. They all make an identical promise about savings if you change to them. But how can every company make the same claim?

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be a mature driver, owns a home, and has a short commute. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Drivers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can claim big savings.

That is why it’s extremely important to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • How does medical payments coverage work?
  • Am I covered if I hit a deer?
  • At what point should I drop full coverage?
  • Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
  • Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
  • Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.

Auto insurance coverages explained

Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Coverage for collisions

Collision insurance covers damage to your F-350 resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers claims like crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail, sustaining damage from a pot hole and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses like prosthetic devices, doctor visits, X-ray expenses, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Ford F-350.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Liability coverages

This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers claims like court costs, medical expenses, medical services, repair costs for stationary objects and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive auto coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as vandalism, fire damage and theft. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Be a penny pincher

Cost effective 1997 Ford F-350 insurance is attainable on the web in addition to many insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers do not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

You just read some good ideas how to save on insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with some of the smallest insurance companies.

Additional insurance information is available at these links: