Looking for lower insurance rates for your GMC Sonoma? Wish you could get out of an expensive insurance policy? You’re preaching to the choir because many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out.
Companies like Allstate and Progressive all claim big savings with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to see past the corporate glitz and take the time to shop coverage around.
There are a variety of methods you can shop for insurance coverage but some are less time-consuming than others. You could waste time driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to maximize your effort.
The majority of car insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and at least one company returns a rated price determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The single downside to comparing rates this way is you can’t choose which carriers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we put together a list of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but ensure you’re using apples-to-apples coverage information for each price quote. If the quotes have different coverage information you will not be able to determine which company has the best rates. Quoting even small variations in limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, comparing a large number of companies helps you find lower pricing. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide prices over the internet, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from them, too.
Some companies don’t necessarily list all disounts very clearly, so below is a list both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts that may be available.
As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts should help lower the cost of coverage.
Larger insurance companies and a selection of discounts are included below.
When quoting, ask every insurance company how you can save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered in your area. To see a list of providers with discount insurance rates, click here.
Many factors are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense such as traffic violations, but some are less obvious such as your marital status or your commute time.
The factors shown below are most of the major factors that factor into prices.
When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk 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 insurance coverage companies in your area.
Big name companies like State Farm and Allstate seem to constantly run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to convey the message about how much you will save if you move your coverage to them. That’s great but how can every company have lower policy pricing? Here is the trick they use.
All companies have strict underwriting profiles for the driver that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk should be married and over the age of 30, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. Someone who matches those parameters receive the lowest rate quotes and will also save money with a new company.
Consumers who cannot meet those criteria may be required to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick companies use is to say “people that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can make those claims.
Because of these techniques, you absolutely need to compare quotes as often as possible. You cannot predict which company will have better prices than you’re paying now.
Knowing the specifics of auto insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on most auto insurance policies.
Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses for things like rehabilitation expenses, surgery and nursing services. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive auto insurance – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hail damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, vandalism, damage from getting keyed and rock chips in glass. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage – This covers damage to your Sonoma resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail, hitting a mailbox and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This gives you protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your GMC Sonoma.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Most of the time these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Liability coverages – This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things such as structural damage, medical expenses and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.
When getting insurance coverage quotes online, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for 1999 GMC Sonoma insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting low cost insurance coverage. You may even discover the lowest auto insurance rates are with a small local company. They often have lower premium rates on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Additional detailed information is available in these articles: