No normal person likes having to buy car insurance, especially when they could lower their rates if they shopped around.
You have so many insurers to choose from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes before your next renewal since insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the best price for Corolla coverage on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to teach you one of the best ways to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
When shopping for inexpensive insurance quotes, there are a couple of ways of comparing rates from insurance companies in your area. The easiest way by far to comparison shop involves getting comparison quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done using a couple different methods.
The most recommended method to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This quick form keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions for each company. Completing one form gets insurance cost estimates direct from many companies.
A more time consuming way to find better pricing consists of visiting each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, let’s say you need rates from Auto-Owners, State Farm and American Family. You would be required to go to each individual site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just be certain you are entering the same information for every company. If you use different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to make a fair comparison for your Toyota Corolla. Just slight variations in insurance coverages or limits may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online quotes, so it’s important to also get price estimates from them as well.
Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below contains both the well known and the harder-to-find credits that may apply to you.
Don’t be shocked that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will help lower your policy premium.
Companies that may include most of the discounts above include:
Before purchasing a policy, check with each company or agent what discounts are available to you. Some discounts might not apply in your state. To see companies who offer insurance discounts, click here to view.
When it comes to buying coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can help discover if you might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. These are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Medical costs insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like dental work, X-ray expenses, pain medications, chiropractic care and surgery. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision coverage pays for damage to your Corolla resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a parking meter, sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car and hitting a mailbox. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Liability coverage
Liability insurance can cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for things such as medical expenses, funeral expenses, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as hitting a bird, theft and hail damage. The maximum amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
UM/UIM Coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Some companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online regional insurance providers sell through independent agents. Cheap 1995 Toyota Corolla insurance can be sourced online as well as from insurance agents, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional car insurance information can be found on the following sites: