No one likes having to buy car insurance, in particular when they could get a better deal. Companies like Geico and Progressive promote their brand names with advertising and it is difficult to ignore the propoganda and do the work needed to find the best deal.
It’s a good idea to compare prices on a regular basis because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rate on Century coverage last year there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of information about car insurance online but we’re going to give you a bunch of ideas how to slash your car insurance rates.
If you have a current insurance policy or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. Drivers just need to learn the tricks to get comparison quotes over the internet.
Finding a better price on car insurance is actually easier than you may think. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes comparing rates to discover which company has inexpensive car insurance quotes. Shoppers can get rates in a couple of different ways.
For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but ensure you’re using nearly identical coverages with each company. If each company quotes different deductibles you can’t possibly determine the lowest rate for your Buick Century.
Lots of factors are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, but other criteria are more transparent like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.
The itemized list below are a partial list of the pieces used by companies to determine your rate level.
Some insurance providers don’t always list the entire discount list very clearly, so the following list contains some of the more common as well as some of the hidden credits available to lower your premiums when you buy car insurance online.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
If you would like to see a list of companies that have a full spectrum of discounts, click this link.
When choosing adequate coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages found on most insurance policies.
Insurance for medical payments – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills for things like chiropractic care, ambulance fees, EMT expenses, dental work and doctor visits. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision coverage – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Century caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things such as sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for 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 claims such as rock chips in glass, vandalism, falling objects, damage from flooding and theft. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things like medical expenses, loss of income and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your objective should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.
Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies.
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