No one likes paying for car insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much.
You have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to find the best rates for your vehicles.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. But drivers must understand how the larger insurance companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.
Companies offering auto insurance don’t list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Companies who might offer these discounts include:
It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering which discounts they offer. Discounts might not apply in your area.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that go into determining the rates you pay for insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower insurance prices.
Listed below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.
When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies have a common claim that you’ll save big if you switch your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who are not a match for this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance company will fit your personal profile best.
Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane, fire damage and vandalism. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision – This will pay to fix damage to your Bonneville caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Medical costs insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills like funeral costs, dental work and pain medications. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Pontiac Bonneville.
Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Liability insurance – This coverage protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. 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 might see values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against things like emergency aid, medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford.
We just showed you many ways to compare 1999 Pontiac Bonneville insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the best prices are with a small local company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
When you buy insurance online, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
To learn more, take a look at the resources below: