No one looks forward to paying for insurance coverage, especially knowing they are paying too much. Companies like Geico and Progressive all claim big savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but some must be specifically requested before you get the savings. If you don’t get every credit available, you are throwing money away.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.
For a list of insurers with the best insurance discounts, click this link.
Consumers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings by Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings if you move to their company.
How can each company make almost identical claims?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.
Drivers who don’t meet these standards will be charged higher premiums and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can state the savings.
That is why you need to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest Subaru Forester insurance rates.
When it comes to choosing coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverage types available from insurance companies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Usually these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for bills for things like chiropractic care, surgery, hospital visits, pain medications and EMT expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Comprehensive protection
This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like rock chips in glass, hail damage, a broken windshield, damage from flooding and vandalism. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Auto liability insurance
This protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims like attorney fees, medical expenses, legal defense fees and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision 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 pays for things such as crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
We just covered many ways to reduce 1999 Subaru Forester insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice full coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
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