Car insurance shopping is not a task consumers look forward to, but it’s required in every state to be legal on the road.
Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. But drivers need to learn how the larger insurance companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating your insurance coverage rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
The list below includes some of the items companies use to determine rates.
Companies offering auto insurance do not list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Car insurance companies that may offer these discounts may include but are not limited to:
Double check with each insurance company how you can save money. Savings may not be available everywhere.
When buying the right insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you may require specific advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Knowing the specifics of your policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Liability
This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for claims like medical expenses, bail bonds and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, damage from flooding, theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane and falling objects. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills such as chiropractic care, rehabilitation expenses, nursing services, funeral costs and prosthetic devices. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Kia Sportage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays for damage to your Sportage from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims like backing into a parked car, driving through your garage door, hitting a mailbox and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
Discount 2001 Kia Sportage insurance can be bought on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
We just presented many ways to compare insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies.