1998 Pontiac Sunfire Insurance Cost – 10 Tips for Cheapest Prices

Want better car insurance rates for your Pontiac Sunfire? Being forced to pay for pricey car insurance premiums can take a big chunk out of your monthly budget and force you to cut corners elsewhere. Comparison shopping is an excellent way to lower your bills every month.

Companies like Geico and Progressive continually hit you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to see through the deception and find the best price available.

How much is car insurance?

There are multiple methods to shop for car insurance, but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to insurance agencies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to get the quickest rates.

Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and at least one company returns a competitive quote based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions to every company.

To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click here (opens in new window).

The only downside to using this type of form is you can’t choose which providers you want to price. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just try to keep exactly the same quote information on every price quote you get. If you are comparing differing limits it will be impossible to determine which company has the best rates. Just slight variations in coverage limits could skew the results. It’s important to know that getting more free quotes helps you find the best price. Some regional insurers cannot provide online rate quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from them as well.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Geico and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. All the companies make the point about savings if you switch your car insurance policy to them. How does every company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the words they use.

Companies quote their cheapest rates for the type of insured that will most likely be profitable. For example, a desirable insured might have to be a mature driver, carries full coverage, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. A propective insured who fits those characteristics may get the lowest premium rates and as a result will probably cut their rates if they switch.

Insureds who don’t meet these stringent criteria may be forced to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the customer not buying. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save the amount stated. That’s why companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great auto insurance rates. Because of these techniques, drivers must compare many company’s auto insurance rates. It is impossible to guess the company that will give you lower rates than your current company.

Get cheap rates by taking advantage of these ten discounts

Car insurance companies do not advertise every possible discount very well, so the next list breaks down a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious ways to save on car insurance. If you do not check that you are getting every discount possible, you could be getting lower rates.

  • Own a Home – Just being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Accident Waiver – Not a discount per se, but certain companies will let one accident slide before your rates go up if your claims history is clear prior to being involved in the accident.
  • Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
  • Active Military Service – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.
  • Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts compared to policyholders that have many claims.
  • Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off the medical payments premium.
  • Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction for Sunfire insurance with certain companies.
  • Braking Control Discount – Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • New Car Discount – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper because newer models are generally safer.
  • Life Insurance – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.

Don’t be shocked that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

A few of the larger companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.

  • State Farm includes discounts for anti-theft, multiple policy, passive restraint, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and good driver.
  • Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including business or organization, good student, accident-free, family plan, and multi-policy.
  • Geico may include discounts for five-year accident-free, good student, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, and multi-policy.
  • AAA discounts include good driver, anti-theft, multi-policy, multi-car, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, and education and occupation.
  • 21st Century offers discounts for student driver, anti-lock brakes, air bags, homeowners, and driver training.
  • The Hartford offers premium reductions for vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, good student, defensive driver, and driver training.

Double check with each company which credits you are entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply in your area.

How much auto insurance do I need?

When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions could help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
  • How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
  • Are my friends covered when driving my 1998 Pontiac Sunfire?
  • Is my state a no-fault state?
  • Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
  • When can I cancel my policy?
  • Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Insurance coverage basics

Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like prosthetic devices, pain medications, ambulance fees, chiropractic care and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Coverage for liability

This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have 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 $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things such as repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses, loss of income, bail bonds and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy higher limits if possible.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance covers 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 coverage protects against things such as damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and rock chips in glass. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Sunfire from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against things such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

And the best car insurance company is…

Budget-conscious 1998 Pontiac Sunfire insurance can be bought on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not offer rates over the internet and most of the time these smaller providers sell through local independent agencies.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

You just read some good ideas how you can shop for 1998 Pontiac Sunfire insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get premium rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.

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