If you are a novice to online insurance shopping, it’s easy to get confused because of the huge number of companies selling insurance.
Shopping for lower insurance rates can take hours if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You could waste time talking to agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Most car insurance companies take part in a program where prospective buyers complete one form, and each company then gives them pricing. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests to every company. To participate in this free quote system, click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly the providers you want to price. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
However you get your quotes, ensure you’re using the exact same coverages for each price quote. If you have higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to decipher which rate is best. Just a small difference in coverage limits could mean much higher rates. Just remember that having more price comparisons helps locate a better price.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for insurance coverage. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower insurance coverage prices.
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied at quote time, but a few need to be asked about in order for you to get them.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
For a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click this link.
When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Learning about specific coverages of insurance can help you determine which coverages you need for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Oldsmobile Intrigue.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Liability coverages – Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property. It protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for things such as funeral expenses, bail bonds, emergency aid, loss of income and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but buy as much as you can afford.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for dental work, EMT expenses, chiropractic care and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, hail damage, a broken windshield and vandalism. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverages – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against claims like rolling your car, colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to regret they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.
Discount 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
You just learned a lot of information how to get a better price on insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small local company.