No one in their right mind looks forward to buying auto insurance, in particular when their premiums are through the roof. Popular companies such as Allstate and Progressive increase brand awareness with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the propoganda and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you have a current insurance coverage policy or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance is quite easy. Drivers only need an understanding of how to find the lowest price online.
There are a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could waste a few hours driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and each company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.
To find out what other companies charge for 2011 Ford Five Hundred insurance click to open in new window.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you will receive quotes from. So if you want to select specific providers to compare rates, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to make an equal comparison.
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you may find discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but some may not be applied and must be asked for before you get the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.
It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of providers with discount insurance coverage rates, click this link.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Learning about specific coverages of insurance helps when choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the usual coverages available from insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like hitting a bird, hitting a deer, hail damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout your insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Five Hundred resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb, colliding with a tree and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Liability coverage
This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t 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 values of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability insurance covers claims such as court costs, funeral expenses and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for bills for ambulance fees, EMT expenses, nursing services, pain medications and prosthetic devices. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage