Are you tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You’re in the same situation as most other car owners.
Big companies like Geico, Progressive and Allstate all claim big savings, bombarding you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using this information. Choosing the best insurance company for you is not that difficult. Although consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.
All the larger insurance coverage companies quote prices for coverage online. Obtaining pricing is quite easy as you simply enter your required coverages as requested by the quote form. When complete, the company’s rating system automatically retrieves your credit score and driving record and returns a price based on these factors. Being able to quote online helps simplify price comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and type in the same information can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get lower prices.
The preferred way to find cheaper rates makes use of a single form to return rates from a bunch of companies at once. It saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online quotes much easier to do. Immediately after you send the form, it is quoted and you are able to buy any one of the quote results. If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and could lower your rates considerably.
To save time and find out how much you can save on insurance coverage, simply click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you complete the form with the coverage information as shown on your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will be getting a price comparison based on identical coverages.
Companies do not advertise every discount very clearly, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, you’re out of luck.
Car insurance companies that possibly offer these discounts include:
It’s a good idea to ask every prospective company how you can save money. Some discounts might not apply in your state.
When choosing adequate coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your situation could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Having a good grasp of insurance can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.
Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hail damage, falling objects, theft, hitting a deer and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your 2008 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things such as damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability car insurance – Liability coverage can cover damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things like structural damage, attorney fees, pain and suffering and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical expenses – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses such as nursing services, dental work and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage