Finding lower rates for insurance coverage can seem to be challenging for people who are new to comparison shopping online. You have so many options that it can turn into a lot of work to locate the lowest price.
Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take hours if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a lot of time talking about coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to get pricing more quickly.
Many companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each company then returns a price quote based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The one downside to using this type of form is you don’t know exactly which companies you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverage information with each company. If you are comparing mixed coverages it’s impossible to determine the best price for your Honda Element. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, quoting more will improve the odds of getting the best price.
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be inquired about prior to getting the savings.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.
A partial list of companies that may have some of the above discounts include:
It’s a good idea to ask each company which discounts they offer. All car insurance discounts might not apply in your state.
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
Knowing the specifics of car insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
This can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims like legal defense fees, structural damage, emergency aid and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for bills for ambulance fees, pain medications, dental work, prosthetic devices and chiropractic care. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
This coverage covers damage to your Element caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as rolling your car, colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as fire damage, falling objects and hail damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Low-cost 2003 Honda Element insurance is definitely available online in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not provide online quoting and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, being labeled a high risk driver and delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.
In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to reduce insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company.