I can’t think of anyone who likes paying for car insurance, especially when they are paying too much.
Drivers have so many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, too many choices makes it more difficult to find the lowest cost provider.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is easy if you know what you’re doing. In a nutshell, everyone who is shopping for insurance coverage will more than likely be able to find better rates. Although vehicle owners do need to know how companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.
Performing a rate comparison can be exhausting if you don’t know the easiest way. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting for quick rates.
Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The only downside to pricing coverage this way is buyers cannot specifically choose the companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare rates, we have assembled a list of insurance coverage companies in your area. Click to view list.
You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but try to use apples-to-apples coverages for every company. If you use different liability limits it’s not possible to make an equal comparison. Even a minor difference in coverage limits may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that comparing all the rates in your area helps increase your odds of locating lower pricing. Some regional insurers cannot provide price estimates online, so it’s recommended that you also compare price quotes on coverage from those companies, too.
When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions might point out if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Knowing the specifics of your policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage 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. Listed below are typical coverage types available from auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as vandalism, theft, damage from flooding and a broken windshield. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage covers damage to your Villager 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 insurance covers claims like sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
UM/UIM Coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include 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, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Medical costs insurance
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, chiropractic care, doctor visits, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Auto liability
This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims like loss of income, medical expenses, emergency aid, legal defense fees and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.