Nobody enjoys paying for insurance coverage, particularly when their premiums are through the roof. Lots of auto insurance companies contend for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies and uncover the absolute lowest cost out there.
If you have insurance now or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find better prices and still get good coverage. Finding the best rates is quite easy. Drivers only need to know the most effective way to shop for auto insurance online.
Finding lower auto insurance rates is surprisingly easy. Drivers just need to take time to compare quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using exactly the same coverages on every quote you get. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison.
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.
Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be specially asked for before you get the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will cut the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, click here to view.
When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions can help discover whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.
Knowing the specifics of your policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like vandalism, hail damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time 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.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for doctor visits, chiropractic care, ambulance fees and surgery. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Liability insurance – Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is a combined limit which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability insurance covers things such as repair costs for stationary objects, attorney fees and medical services. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.
Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Chevy S-10.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Frequently these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
We just showed you many tips how you can get a better price on 1999 Chevy S-10 insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best price.
Additional detailed information is available in the articles below: