Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse.
Companies like Progressive, Geico and Farmers Insurance continually hit you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.
You should take the time to get comparison quotes occasionally because insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the lowest price for Forester coverage a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the fastest and easiest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be exhausting if you don’t understand the easiest way. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you can stay home and use the internet for quick rates.
Most major companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and every company returns a competitive quote. This eliminates the need for quote forms for every auto insurance company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to start a free quote.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies to receive prices from. So if you want to choose specific providers to compare prices, we have a page of the cheapest auto insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use identical information with every price quote. If you enter different values for each quote it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in large price differences. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting better pricing.
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but a few must be asked about in order for you to get them.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.
Companies that may have some of the above discounts include:
Double check with every prospective company how you can save money. Savings may not apply in your area.
When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the normal coverages offered by auto insurance companies.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Subaru Forester.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as pain medications, nursing services, funeral costs, surgery and dental work. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Liability insurance protects you from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for claims like medical services, bail bonds, medical expenses and emergency aid. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as damage from flooding, falling objects, damage from getting keyed and hail damage. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with a tree, sideswiping another vehicle and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.