Have you fallen victim to an overpriced insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you’re not alone. Due to the large number of options when it comes to insurance, it can be hard to pick the lowest cost insurance provider.
It’s a good idea to do rate comparisons yearly because insurance prices change frequently. Even if you got the best quotes on Sonata coverage a few years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because it’s time to teach you the fastest way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
Buying car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to save some money using this information. Consumers just need to understand how to compare price quotes online.
A large part of saving on insurance is knowing the different types of things that are used to determine the price you pay for insurance. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower rates.
Listed below are just a few of the factors used by companies to determine your premiums.
There are multiple methods to compare insurance coverage quotes, and some are less time-consuming than others. You could waste a few hours discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you could save time and use the web to get prices fast.
Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace where insurance shoppers complete one form, and each company then returns a price quote for coverage. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.
The only downside to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose the providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare prices, we have a page of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here to view list.
Whichever way you use, make sure you use the exact same quote data for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to make an equal comparison.
Consumers can’t get away from ads that claim the lowest rates from companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the companies tend to make the same promise about saving some big amount if you get a free insurance coverage quote and switch to them.
How can each company charge you less for car insurance? It’s all in the wording.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for a prospective insured that will be a good risk. One example of a preferred risk could be over the age of 45, has a low-risk occupation, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Someone that matches those criteria receive the lowest rate quotes and will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential customers who cannot meet these stringent criteria must pay higher prices and the prospect going elsewhere. The wording the ads use say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how insurance companies can confidently make those claims. This emphasizes why you really should compare as many free insurance coverage quotes as you can. It’s not possible to predict with any certainty which company will fit you best based on your risk profile.
Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but you may be missing some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but some discounts are required to be specially asked for before they will apply. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears you could get a free insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
Popular insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are detailed below.
If you need lower rates, check with each company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. To find insurance companies who offer free insurance quotes, click this link.
When buying the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have 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 you can get the answers you need.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.
Liability coverage
Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property. It protects you from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims like funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs, emergency aid and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Coverage for medical payments
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses like funeral costs, surgery, ambulance fees and EMT expenses. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
This covers damage to your Sonata from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from 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 insurance covers claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost while still protecting your assets.
Lower-priced insurance can be sourced both online and with local insurance agents, so get free insurance coverage quotes from both of them to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not provide price quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.
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