Save on 1998 Ford Contour Car Insurance Quotes

Searching for the cheapest insurance rates for your Ford Contour? Do you get exhausted from sacrificing other expenses to make your insurance payment? You have the same problem as the majority of other people. Lots of insurance companies contend for your insurance dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a provider and get the definite best price available.

Compare quotes for car insurance

There are several ways to shop for car insurance, but some are easier and takes less work. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Most of the best insurance companies take part in a program where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and every company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To participate in this free quote system, click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to using this type of form is you can’t choose which carriers to get quotes from. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to compare rates, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just make sure you compare exactly the same quote information with every price quote. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate.

Are you qualifying for every discount?

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may be missing some discounts that can help lower your rates. Most are applied at quote time, but some must be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you could be getting lower rates.

  • Multiple Cars – Having primary and secondary vehicles with the same company can get a discount for every vehicle.
  • Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll and complete driver’s education in high school.
  • Data Collection Discounts – People who choose to allow their company to scrutinize driving habits through the use of a telematics system such as State Farm’s In-Drive may see discounts if they exhibit good driving behavior.
  • E-sign Discounts – A few larger online companies provide a small discount simply for signing online.
  • Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers without accidents may save up to 50% more on Contour coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
  • Accident Waiver – Not really a discount, but certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance companies give a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy life insurance.
  • Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying a new car instead of a used car may earn a small discount because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Professional Organizations – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups could earn you a nice discount on your bill.

As is typical with insurance, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.

Car insurance companies that possibly offer some of the discounts shown above include:

It’s a good idea to ask every company which discounts they offer. A few discounts may not apply to policies in your area.

Eight tips to get more affordable insurance costs

The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at a few of the rating criteria that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that could result in lower insurance prices. Many different elements are used in the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although others are less obvious such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.

  • Females tend to be lower risk – Over the last 30 years, statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. Females and males have auto accidents in similar numbers, but guys cause more damage. They also receive more major tickets like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Males from age 16 to 21 generally have the highest accident percentage and are penalized with high insurance rates.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims don’t be surprised to see much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Insurance companies award the lowest premiums to people who are not frequent claim filers. Insurance coverage is designed for the large, substantial claims.
  • Gaps in coverage mean higher prices – Having an insurance coverage lapse can be a quick way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
  • Bundle policies to earn discounts – Most larger insurance companies give discounts to customers who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it’s always a smart idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money.
  • What are your physical damage deductibles? – Insurance for physical damage, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some examples of claims that would be covered are running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and damage caused by flying debris. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles state the amount of money the insured will be required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more damage repair cost you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be on Contour coverage.
  • Pay more by driving carelessly – How you drive has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers have lower premiums as compared to those with violations. Having just one chargable violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous citations like reckless driving or DUI might be required by their state to maintain a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to legally drive.
  • High credit rating translates to low premiums – An insured’s credit rating is likely to be a major factor in your rate calculation. If your credit score can be improved, you could potentially save money when insuring your 1998 Ford Contour if you clean up your credit. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims than those with lower ratings.
  • Cars with good safety ratings mean better rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles reduce injuries and reduced instances of injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.

When in doubt talk to an agent

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight if you might need professional guidance.

  • Is other people’s property covered if stolen from my vehicle?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • What is PIP insurance?
  • Does my 1998 Ford Contour need full coverage?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • Why am I required to buy liability insurance?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Be skeptical of auto insurance ads

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to seem to make the promise that people will save if you get a free auto insurance quote and switch your policy.

How do they all give you a lower rate? Here is how they do it.

Auto insurance companies have an ideal profile for the type of customer that makes them money. One example of a preferred risk should be between the ages of 30 and 45, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will most likely get cheap car insurance rates and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.

Potential insureds who don’t meet the requirements must pay a higher premium which translates to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can state the savings.

This really illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will have the lowest rates for your situation.

Coverages available on your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.

Liability coverages

Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for 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. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 which means a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims such as bail bonds, structural damage, medical expenses, funeral expenses and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like hail damage, falling objects, hitting a bird, damage from getting keyed and hitting a deer. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Coverage for collisions

Collision insurance covers damage to your Contour caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as scraping a guard rail, rolling your car, sustaining damage from a pot hole 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 choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Contour.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Insurance for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like doctor visits, chiropractic care and funeral costs. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Never pay more for less

When shopping online for insurance coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost, but do not skimp to save money.

You just read many ideas to shop for 1998 Ford Contour insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding affordable auto insurance. Consumers may even find the lowest car insurance rates come from the smaller companies. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.

More tips and info about insurance coverage is located at these sites: