Compare 2008 Nissan Altima Insurance Rates

Trying to find lower insurance coverage rates for your Nissan Altima? Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced insurance coverage? Trust us, you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse.

You have so many insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s nice to have multiple companies, it makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.

Choosing the best insurance company for you is not that difficult. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. But consumers benefit from understanding how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online.

Complexity of Nissan Altima insurance rates

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating your insurance coverage rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get big savings.

Shown below are some of the items that factor into your rates.

  • Men pay higher rates – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Men and women cause accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
  • Big city or small town – Choosing to live in a small town can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Drivers in populated areas regularly have much more traffic to deal with and much longer commute distances. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
  • Rates may be lower depending on your job – Jobs such as judges, business owners and stock brokers have the highest rates in part from job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, occupations like scientists, students and retirees get better rates for Altima coverage.
  • How credit affects insurance coverage rates – Your credit score is a huge factor in calculating your insurance coverage rates. If your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your 2008 Nissan Altima by repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit.
  • Higher deductibles cost less – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The more money you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive for Altima coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance companies don’t always list all their discounts very well, so we break down some of the best known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

  • Resident Student – Children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Claim Free – Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less for Altima coverage than drivers with accidents.
  • Homeowners Discount – Owning a house may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
  • Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for reduced rates for Altima coverage.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Nissan could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

To see a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts, click here.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings if you switch to them. How can each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards will be charged higher premiums and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can make those claims. That is why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest Nissan Altima insurance rates.

Different people need different coverages

When choosing coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can help discover if you will benefit from professional help.

  • Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
  • If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • What is roadside assistance coverage?
  • Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Are rental cars covered under my policy?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Auto insurance coverages 101

Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Collision – This pays for damage to your Altima caused by collision with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like hitting a parking meter, colliding with a tree, rolling your car and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Auto liability – Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability can pay for things such as attorney fees, structural damage and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers 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 is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive coverage – This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, hail damage, damage from getting keyed and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses for things like doctor visits, X-ray expenses, funeral costs, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Better coverage you can count on

Lower-priced 2008 Nissan Altima insurance can be found on the web as well as from independent agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies don’t offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

You just learned a lot of tips how to reduce insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

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