Lower Your 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe Insurance Cost

Pricey insurance can drain your accounts and force you to cut corners elsewhere.

Since you have so many choices, it is very difficult to locate the cheapest insurer.

Shopping for the best protection can be fairly easy. Basically, every driver who is required by state law to have insurance will more than likely be able to cut their insurance bill. But car owners should learn how insurance companies price online insurance.

How you can control Chevy Tahoe insurance prices

Many different elements are used when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but others are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.

The factors shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine prices.

  • Lower coverage deductibles cost more – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Protection for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be rearending another vehicle, hail damage, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance for Tahoe coverage.
  • Too many insurance claims and you’ll pay more – Car insurance companies generally give better rates to people who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended for more catestrophic claims.
  • Bad credit will cost you – Your credit history factor in calculating your premium rate. So if your credit can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe by improving your rating. Consumers who have excellent credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit scores.
  • Get a ticket, pay higher rates – Having a clean driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Only having one ticket can increase the cost of insurance by twenty percent. Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have gotten dangerous tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to prove financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Policy add-ons may be wasting money – Policies have extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your Tahoe policy. Coverage for things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage could be just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing when discussing your needs, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Does your employer raise your insurance coverage rates? – Occupations like lawyers, architects and stock brokers generally have higher average rates because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations like scientists, students and the unemployed generally pay rates lower than average for Tahoe coverage.

Don’t overlook these insurance discounts

Some companies don’t always list the entire discount list very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy car insurance online. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.

  • Braking Control Discount – Vehicles that have anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions so you can save 10 percent or more.
  • Data Collection Discounts – Insureds that choose to allow data collection to analyze driving manner by installing a telematics device such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may get a rate reduction if their driving habits are good.
  • No Claim Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings up to 30%.
  • Early Renewal Discounts – Some companies give discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. You may see this discount when you get car insurance quotes online.
  • Savings for New Vehicles – Buying a new car model can get you a discount compared to insuring an older model.
  • Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for better premium rates on cars that stay parked.
  • E-sign Discounts – Some companies will give a small break simply for signing on the web.
  • Payment Method – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than spreading payments over time you can actually save on your bill.

One thing to note about discounts is that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts are detailed below.

  • State Farm includes discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, good student, multiple policy, safe vehicle, and good driver.
  • Geico offers premium reductions for federal employee, air bags, multi-vehicle, membership and employees, and multi-policy.
  • Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, and online signing.
  • 21st Century has discounts for automatic seat belts, 55 and older, defensive driver, student driver, and theft prevention.
  • American Family offers discounts for TimeAway discount, bundled insurance, air bags, good student, good driver, and Steer into Savings.
  • The Hartford offers discounts including driver training, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, air bag, defensive driver, good student, and bundle.
  • AAA may offer discounts for multi-car, education and occupation, good driver, good student, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, and multi-policy.

When getting a coverage quote, ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. A few discounts may not apply in your state. To see a list of insurance companies that offer some of these discounts, click here to view.

Big names are not always cheapest

Respected companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all make the same claim about savings if you switch your coverage to them. How do they all say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of customer that will not have excessive claims. For example, this type of driver may need to be over the age of 40, has never had a claim, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. Anyone that matches those criteria will most likely get cheap prices and most likely will save some money.

Potential customers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile may receive higher rates and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

This emphasizes why you really should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

When to get professional advice

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help highlight if your situation could use an agent’s help.

  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • What are the financial responsibility laws in my state?
  • Where can I find high-risk insurance?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Am I covered if I break a side mirror?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Insurance policy specifics

Having a good grasp of insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most insurance policies.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your 1998 Chevy Tahoe.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as a broken windshield, vandalism and theft. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills for things like rehabilitation expenses, doctor visits, funeral costs, hospital visits and dental work. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Liability auto insurance

This will cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers claims such as pain and suffering, emergency aid, court costs and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford.

Coverage for collisions

This coverage covers damage to your Tahoe from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against things like colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and hitting a mailbox. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Shop smart and save

More affordable insurance coverage is definitely available on the web in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer price quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers work with independent agencies.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

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