Finding affordable insurance is challenging for beginners to buying insurance online. Consumers have so many options available that it can be more work than you anticipated to compare prices.
Consumers need to price shop coverage at least once a year because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you think you had the lowest rates on Canyon insurance a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
There are a lot of ways you can shop for insurance coverage but some are less time-consuming than others. You could spend your day driving to agents in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to get the quickest rates.
Many of the larger companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers submit their information once, and every company then returns a price quote determined by their information. This eliminates the need for quotation requests to each individual insurance coverage company. To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click here (opens in new window).
One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you can’t choose the providers you want to price. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we put together a list of companies who write insurance coverage in your area. View list of insurance companies.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make darn sure you compare the exact same coverages for every company. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to determine the best price for your GMC Canyon. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding lower pricing.
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Knowing the specifics of car insurance can be of help when determining appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Canyon resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a mailbox and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Medical expense coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses like doctor visits, pain medications and X-ray expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive protection – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as damage from flooding, a broken windshield, hail damage and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
Auto liability – This provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against things like medical services, medical expenses, structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This provides protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your GMC Canyon.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.