Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of car insurance companies? You’re not the only one! You have so many options that it can easily become a lot of work to find lower rates.
Companies offering auto insurance do not list all their discounts very well, so we researched some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on insurance.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To see a list of providers with the best insurance discounts, click this link.
It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate rates.
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different.
These are some specific questions may help you determine if your insurance needs may require specific advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Insurance coverage companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make an identical promise of big savings after switching to them. How does each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and drives newer vehicles. A driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Drivers who fall outside this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. Because of the profiling, you need to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which insurance coverage company will have the lowest Mercedes-Benz S-Class insurance rates.
Knowing the specifics of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Liability auto insurance
This will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against things such as emergency aid, court costs, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, legal defense fees and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Insurance for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses like chiropractic care, hospital visits, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees and EMT expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Collision insurance
Collision coverage covers damage to your S-Class caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for things such as sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as a broken windshield, damage from flooding, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to save on 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like poor customer service, policy cancellation, denial of a claim or delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.