Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are many consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance. Lots of auto insurance companies contend for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company and get the best coverage at the cheapest price
Auto insurance companies do not list all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the more common and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you don’t get every credit possible, you are throwing money away.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
Car insurance companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts include:
Check with every prospective company which discounts they offer. Discounts may not be available in every state.
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverage types found on most auto insurance policies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” 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 only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Medical expense coverage
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills for EMT expenses, pain medications, prosthetic devices and hospital visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Liability auto insurance
Liability insurance will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, medical expenses, bail bonds, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, hitting a deer and hail damage. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision insurance
This coverage pays for damage to your Silhouette resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
The cheapest 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
We covered many tips how you can compare insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
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