When shopping for more affordable insurance, are you confused by the number of insurance choices that you can choose from? Many other drivers are as well. There are such a vast assortment of choices available that it can easily become a real challenge to find a cheaper company.
You should take the time to compare prices at least once a year due to the fact that insurance prices tend to go up over time. Just because you found the lowest price on Esteem insurance a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because you’re about to learn the quickest way to find better coverage at a better price.
Shopping for lower insurance rates is a ton of work if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You could spend your day talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Many insurance companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers complete one form, and at least one company can provide price quotes based on that information. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.
To use this form to compare rates click here (opens in new window).
The one downside to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose which companies to receive prices from. If you wish to select specific providers to request quotes from, we put together a list of insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just be sure you’re using equivalent coverages and limits for every company. If you enter different values for each quote you will not be able to determine which company has the best rates. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. It’s important to know that making a lot of price comparisons provides better odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company does online rate quotes, so it’s important to compare price estimates from them, too.
When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique.
These are some specific questions can aid in determining if you might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Collision coverage protection
This pays for damage to your Esteem resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers things like crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against things like emergency aid, legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from getting keyed, fire damage, a broken windshield, hail damage and theft. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Suzuki Esteem.
Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for immediate expenses like pain medications, hospital visits, doctor visits, surgery and dental work. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage