Finding low cost coverage rates for insurance coverage is always quite difficult for drivers who have little experience online insurance quotes. Drivers have so many options that it can easily become a difficult mission to compare coverage rates.
If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these techniques. Shopping for affordable car insurance coverage is not that difficult. Nevertheless, consumers do need to learn how big insurance companies price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.
Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You could spend your day talking to insurance companies in your area, or you can utilize the internet to get prices fast.
Many of the larger companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers complete one form, and each participating company then gives them pricing. This saves time by eliminating quote forms for each company. To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify the insurers to get pricing from. If you would rather choose individual companies to request quotes from, we have a page of the cheapest insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you compare equivalent coverages and limits for each comparison quote. If the quotes have different data it will be nearly impossible to make a fair rate comparison. Quoting even small variations in limits can result in a big premium difference. Just keep in mind that quoting more helps you find the best offered rates. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online rate quotes, so you need to compare rates on coverage from those companies, too.
Insurance companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings just by moving your coverage to them. How can each company give you a lower rate? This is the way they can do it.
Companies look for specific characteristics for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a preferred risk should be a married male, has no claims, and does not commute to work. Anyone that fits those parameters will get the preferred prices and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Insureds who don’t measure up to this stringent profile may receive a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The trick companies use is to say “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can make those statements. This emphasizes why you really should compare rate quotes every year. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which company will give you the biggest savings.
Companies don’t always advertise every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the more common as well as some of the hidden insurance savings.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
A few of the larger companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
When quoting, ask each company or agent which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policyholders in your area. If you would like to see a list of providers with significant discounts, click here to view.
When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.
For example, these questions might help in determining whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Liability coverage – Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. It consists of three limits, 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 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers things such as funeral expenses, emergency aid, court costs and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Comprehensive insurance – This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a bird, vandalism, hail damage, damage from getting keyed and falling objects. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your 1995 Dodge Stealth.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses like dental work, X-ray expenses, doctor visits and prosthetic devices. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Stealth from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch, colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like not issuing a premium refund, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high rates after DUI convictions or even poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be pretty painless.
When you buy car insurance online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost while still protecting your assets.
Some companies may not have online price quotes and many times these regional carriers work with local independent agents. Cheap 1995 Dodge Stealth insurance is possible both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
Additional insurance coverage information can be read at the links below