1998 Nissan Altima Car Insurance Rates – 7 Policy Discounts

I really doubt anyone looks forward to buying insurance, especially when they know they could lower their rates if they shopped around.

You have so many insurers to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to find the lowest cost provider.

Finding cheaper protection is not that difficult. Just about every driver who has to buy insurance coverage stands a good chance to be able to reduce their rates. Nevertheless, drivers can benefit from knowing the way insurance companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.

Get affordable rates with these seven auto insurance discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details a few of the more common as well as some of the hidden credits available to bring down your rates. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you deserve, you could be getting lower rates.

  • No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers get the best auto insurance rates when compared with policyholders that have many claims.
  • More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on a single policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
  • Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles are stolen with less frequency and that can save you a little bit as well.
  • Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
  • Savings for New Vehicles – Putting coverage on a new car may earn a small discount due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
  • Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
  • Memberships – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups is a simple method to lower premiums when shopping for auto insurance.

Just know that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

Larger auto insurance companies and their possible discounts can be found below.

  • State Farm may offer discounts for accident-free, good driver, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, safe vehicle, and passive restraint.
  • Nationwide may include discounts for business or organization, multi-policy, family plan, Farm Bureau membership, and anti-theft.
  • Geico offers premium reductions for five-year accident-free, federal employee, daytime running lights, defensive driver, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
  • AAA discounts include good student, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, anti-theft, multi-car, and good driver.
  • 21st Century has discounts for automatic seat belts, early bird, defensive driver, teen driver, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
  • The Hartford offers discounts including driver training, bundle, defensive driver, anti-theft, and good student.

If you need lower rates, check with every prospective company what discounts are available to you. Discounts may not be offered in every state. To view companies that have a full spectrum of discounts, click here to view.

Auto insurance can get complicated

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might point out if you could use an agent’s help.

  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • When would I need additional glass coverage?
  • Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
  • Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
  • Can I make deliveries for my home business?
  • Are my friends covered when driving my 1998 Nissan Altima?

If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to state the claim that drivers will save a bundle just by switching your coverage to them. How does every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? This is how they do it.

Different companies give the cheapest rates for the type of insured that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable risk profile might be described as married and over the age of 30, owns a home, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any new insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest premium rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who do not meet the requirements will probably have to pay higher premium rates which leads to the prospect going elsewhere. The ads state “people that switch” not “all people who quote” save money. That’s the way insurance companies can make those claims.

This really drives home the point why it is so important to compare quotes as often as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance coverage company will give you the biggest savings.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for dental work, chiropractic care and nursing services. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability – Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people by causing an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against things such as funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, loss of income, attorney fees and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as falling objects, vandalism, fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Altima from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims like crashing into a building, backing into a parked car and colliding with a tree. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Save your cold hard cash

You just read a lot of ways to compare 1998 Nissan Altima insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best price on insurance coverage is with a small mutual company. They may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.

Budget-friendly insurance coverage can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies don’t offer rate quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through local independent agencies.

More detailed insurance coverage information is available at these sites: