Cheap 1998 Ford Ranger Insurance Rates

Searching for low-cost insurance for a Ford Ranger can turn out to be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips and make it easy.

There are both good and bad ways to compare auto insurance rates so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to compare rates for a Ford and obtain the lowest price either online or from local insurance agents.

Ford Ranger premiums are determined by many factors

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating your insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower insurance prices.

  • Discounts for multiple policies – Many companies give discounts to customers who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money.
  • Big city or small town – Residing in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when buying insurance. Drivers in populated areas tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates – Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • High credit ratings translate to low rates – Your credit history is a large factor in determining your rates. So if your credit score is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your 1998 Ford Ranger by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores.
  • Occupation reflects on rates – Jobs such as real estate brokers, business owners and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average because of high stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed have the lowest average rates on Ranger coverage.
  • Add-on coverages can add up – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your insurance policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good at first, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

Compare the Market for Insurance Coverage

Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way. You can waste a few hours (or days) driving to insurance companies in your area, or you could use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.

All the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and each participating company provides a quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests for every insurance coverage company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The only drawback to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose the providers you want to price. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare, we put together a list of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

However you get your quotes, compare identical coverage limits on every quote. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles you can’t possibly determine which rate is truly the best.

These discounts can slash auto insurance rates

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

  • Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
  • College Student – Kids in college who live away from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
  • Sign Online – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
  • Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
  • Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less on Ranger coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
  • Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

For a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts, follow this link.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

These are some specific questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from professional advice.

  • If my 1998 Ford Ranger is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • Should I buy full coverage?
  • Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
  • Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
  • Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
  • What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

Educate yourself about insurance coverages

Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

UM/UIM Coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Ranger.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Ranger caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things like sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a parking meter and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Coverage for liability

Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against things like medical services, court costs and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Medical costs insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills for X-ray expenses, funeral costs, hospital visits and nursing services. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a deer, a broken windshield, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and falling objects. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Shop smart and save

Low-cost 1998 Ford Ranger insurance can be found on the web and with local insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest priced insurance coverage comes from a smaller regional carrier.

People change insurance companies for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices, being labeled a high risk driver and even high rates after DUI convictions. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right insurance coverage provider can be pretty painless.

Much more information about insurance coverage is available at the links below