1998 Cadillac Catera Car Insurance Rates

Vehicle owners not familiar with comparing insurance coverage rates online may find sourcing inexpensive insurance to be a formidable task.

Finding the best rates is quite easy. Essentially every driver who is shopping for car insurance should be able to lower their premiums. Although vehicle owners must understand how the larger insurance companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.

How to buy insurance

When comparison shopping, there are several ways to obtain and compare prices from lots of insurance companies. The recommended way to lower the rate you pay for Cadillac Catera insurance consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is quite simple and can be completed by using one of the methods below.

  1. The best way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for every prospective company. A single form will return quotes from several companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
  2. A harder way to get comparison quotes consists of visiting the website for each individual company and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you need rates from USAA, Safeco and State Farm. To do that, you would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, and that explains why we recommend the first method.

    To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

  3. The least recommended way to shop rates is physically going to all the different insurance agencies. The ability to get quotes online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you want the personal advice of an agent trained in personal lines coverage. However, consumers can price shop online but buy the policy through an agent.

However you get your quotes, make sure you are using equivalent quote data on every quote you get. If you use higher or lower deductibles it will be nearly impossible to make a fair rate comparison. Just a small difference in coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more rates from different companies increases the change that you will find the best offered rates. Not every company does prices over the internet, so you should also compare price quotes from those companies as well.

Cheaper rates by taking advantage of discounts

Some providers don’t always publicize every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more common and the harder-to-find insurance coverage savings.

  • Use Seat Belts – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with ABS braking systems or traction control are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Good Grades Discount – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students until age 25.
  • Safe Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more on Catera coverage compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
  • Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for completing your application online.
  • Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small discount on rates on Catera coverage.

You can save money using discounts, but most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

Some of the larger companies who might offer some of the discounts shown above may include but are not limited to:

It’s a good idea to ask all the companies how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not be available everywhere.

Smart consumers save more

Part of the car insurance buying process is learning the different types of things that help determine the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are used when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are more obscure like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.

The list below includes some of the most rate-impacting factors used by companies to determine rates.

  • Car insurance policy lapses lead to higher car insurance rates – Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could result in fines and jail time. You will then be forced to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state motor vehicle department.
  • No policy claims equals cheap prices – Car insurance companies provide discounts to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
  • Your occupation can affect premiums – Do you work in a high-stress field? Jobs such as real estate brokers, social workers and stock brokers tend to have higher rates than the rest of us in part from high stress levels and long work hours. Other careers like farmers, students and retirees generally pay rates lower than average on Catera coverage.
  • Physical damage deductibles are a factor – Comp and collision deductibles tell how much the insured will be required to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance on Catera coverage.
  • Eliminate unneeded incidental coverages – Insurance companies have many extra bells and whistles that sound like a good idea at the time if you aren’t careful. Insurance for things like vanishing deductibles, death and dismemberment, and membership fees may be wasting your money. They may seem good when deciding what coverages you need, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so consider taking them off your policy.

How much insurance coverage do I need?

When buying the best insurance coverage coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

These are some specific questions might help in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
  • Are rock chip repairs covered?
  • Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • When should I drop full coverage on my 1998 Cadillac Catera?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
  • How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Insurance coverage myths debunked

State Farm, Allstate and Geico endlessly run ads on TV and radio. All the companies advertise claims that you’ll save big if you just switch your insurance coverage policy to them. How can each company give you a better price? It’s all in the wording.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that will be a good risk. For instance, this type of insured might have to be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A driver who matches those parameters will probably get cheap premium rates and most likely will save if they switch.

Insureds who are not a match for those standards may receive more expensive rates which results in the customer buying from a different company. The ads say “people who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings. This really emphasizes why you need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. Because without a comparison, you cannot know with any certainty which company will have better car insurance rates than you’re paying now.

Insurance coverage specifics

Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Comprehensive coverage

This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like vandalism, theft and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as doctor visits, prosthetic devices and dental work. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Collision protection

Collision coverage pays for damage to your Catera from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like colliding with a tree, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability

Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability insurance covers things like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, attorney fees, medical services and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but buy as large an amount as possible.

And the best car insurance company is…

We’ve covered a lot of information how to save on 1998 Cadillac Catera insurance. The key thing to remember is the more you quote insurance, the better likelihood of getting cheap insurance. You may even find the most savings is with a small local company.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Lower-priced car insurance is attainable on the web in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers may not provide internet price quotes and these regional carriers prefer to sell through local independent agencies.

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