View 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 Insurance Cost

Trying to find better insurance coverage rates for your GMC Sierra 1500? Purchasing the most affordable insurance coverage may be overwhelming for drivers new to quoting and comparing rates and buying insurance coverage on the internet. With a ridiculous number of companies competing online, how can drivers effectively compare all the different companies and get the lowest rates?

Smart consumers take time to price shop coverage as often as possible because prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the lowest price for Sierra insurance a year ago you will most likely find a better rate quote today. You can search a lot of insurance coverage online, but I’m going to show you some solid techniques on how to lower your insurance coverage premiums.

Verify you’re getting every discount

Companies do not list every discount they offer in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details a few of the more well known as well as the least known credits available to bring down your rates.

  • Professional Memberships – Participating in a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on your bill.
  • Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags may qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less could earn cheaper prices.
  • Buy New and Save – Buying a new car instead of a used car can save you some money since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
  • Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable data collection to track driving habits remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot may see discounts as long as they are good drivers.
  • Active Service Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.

Policy discounts save money, but most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way.

Popular car insurance companies and their offered discounts are outlined below.

  • State Farm includes discounts for multiple policy, passive restraint, multiple autos, defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, and good student.
  • Geico may include discounts for driver training, multi-policy, membership and employees, federal employee, daytime running lights, and multi-vehicle.
  • Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new vehicle discount, multi-car, safety features, preferred payment discount, hybrid vehicle, good student, and teen driver discount.
  • The Hartford offers premium reductions for air bag, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, driver training, bundle, good student, and defensive driver.
  • MetLife discounts include multi-policy, good driver, good student, accident-free, and defensive driver.
  • Progressive has savings for online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.

When quoting, ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in your area. If you would like to see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, click this link.

The GMC Sierra 1500 insurance price equation

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices. Many factors are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are more transparent like your vehicle usage or your financial responsibility.

The list below includes some of the things used by insurance companies to determine your rates.

  • Careless driving means higher prices – Drivers who don’t get tickets pay lower auto insurance prices than their less careful counterparts. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Drivers unfortunate enough to have severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving might be required by their state to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s licensing department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Gender matters – The statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. However, this does not mean females are better at driving than males. Men and women get in accidents in similar percentages, but guys have accidents that have higher claims. Men also receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Male teenagers are several times more likely to be in an accident so it costs more to insure them.
  • Having a spouse is a good thing – Having a spouse may save some money when shopping for auto insurance. Having a significant other generally demonstrates drivers are more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
  • Your job may affect prices – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupational choices like fire fightersair traffic controllers and accountants generally pay higher rates than average in part from stressful work requirements and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, jobs such as farmers, engineers and retirees pay lower than average rates for Sierra insurance.

When should I discuss my situation with an agent?

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.

For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
  • Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
  • Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
  • Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
  • Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
  • If my 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
  • Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.

Car insurance ads are enticing

State Farm, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim about how much you will save after switching to their company. How is it possible that every company can offer drivers better rates? It’s all in the wording.

All companies provide the lowest rates for the right customer that earns them the highest profit. For instance, a preferred risk could be a female over age 40, has never had a claim, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured that matches those criteria will probably get cheap premium rates and will also save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who fall short of this ideal profile will see a higher premium and ends up with the customer not purchasing. If you pay attention, the ads say “people that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save the amount stated. That’s why companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great premium rates. Different companies use different criteria so drivers must get car insurance quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the best auto insurance rates for your profile.

Car insurance coverages 101

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills like EMT expenses, ambulance fees and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Collision – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Sierra 1500 resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your GMC Sierra 1500.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers 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 coverage protects against things such as damage from flooding, fire damage and hitting a deer. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Auto liability – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

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 limits of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability coverage pays for things like medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy higher limits if possible.

Coverage on a shoestring budget

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to compare 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance auto insurance rates online. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote car insurance, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even find the lowest auto insurance rates come from a smaller regional carrier.

The cheapest 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance is available on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, questionable increases in premium, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and high prices. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.

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