Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are no different than the majority of other car owners. Companies like Geico and Progressive continually bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the promise of big savings and take the time to shop coverage around.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.
Car insurance companies that may have these benefits include:
It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your state.
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for insurance coverage. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
Shown below are some of the factors companies use to determine rates.
When choosing the best insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover if your insurance needs may require specific advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverages available from insurance companies.
Auto liability insurance – This coverage can cover damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers things like structural damage, medical expenses, attorney fees and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like nursing services, prosthetic devices, doctor visits, surgery and pain medications. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, 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. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive coverages – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things like fire damage, falling objects and a broken windshield. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision – This coverage pays for damage to your Optima resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things like sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree, driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and hitting a mailbox. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
We just showed you a lot of ways to shop for 2010 Kia Optima insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest rates come from the least-expected company. These companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
Lower-priced insurance is possible from both online companies and with local insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.
Additional detailed information is located in the articles below: