Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a rate comparison is a great way to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Since vehicle owners have many auto insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to find the best company.
It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes at least once a year because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates on A6 insurance a couple years back there may be better deals available now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to one of the quickest ways to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
Comparing insurance coverage rates can be a lot of work if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You could waste time talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use online quoting to quickly compare rates.
Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and each company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each company.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of system is that consumers can’t choose which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to select individual companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of companies who write insurance coverage in your area. Click to view list.
The method you choose is up to you, but double check that you are using the exact same quote data for each price quote. If you have different data it will be nearly impossible to determine which rate is truly the best. Just slight variations in insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. And when quoting insurance coverage, remember that comparing more quotes helps increase your odds of locating a better price.
Companies don’t always advertise all available discounts very well, so we took the time to find a few of the more common and the more hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you buy auto insurance online. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will help lower your policy premium.
To see insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here to view.
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with 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.
Understanding the coverages of auto insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Liability coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability can pay for claims such as medical services, loss of income, emergency aid and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses like nursing services, pain medications, rehabilitation expenses and dental work. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, fire damage, vandalism, damage from flooding and hitting a bird. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
This coverage pays for damage to your A6 resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.