Save on 2001 Ford Focus Insurance Quotes

Looking for cheaper insurance rates for your Ford Focus? If shopping for insurance quotes online is new to you, it’s easy to be baffled thanks to the vast number of local and online companies all claiming to save you money.

Consumers should take time to do price comparisons before your policy renews due to the fact that insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you found the best rates on Focus coverage at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. Forget all the misinformation about insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest and easiest way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Don’t overlook these car insurance discounts

Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might be missing out on some discounts that can help lower your rates. A few discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before they will apply.

  • Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
  • Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may get savings of 20% or more.
  • Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better car insurance rates.
  • College Student Discount – Children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
  • Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
  • New Car Discount – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper because new model year vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Claim-Free Discount – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less compared to bad drivers.
  • Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.

A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.

  • Farm Bureau may include discounts for multi-vehicle, driver training, youthful driver, good student, 55 and retired, and renewal discount.
  • State Farm may have discounts that include Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, driver’s education, safe vehicle, and multiple autos.
  • Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, good student, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
  • Allstate policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, senior citizen, anti-theft, premier discount, teenSMART discount, early signing, and anti-lock brakes.
  • Nationwide includes discounts for Farm Bureau membership, family plan, multi-policy, defensive driving, and business or organization.
  • MetLife has savings for good student, claim-free, defensive driver, good driver, multi-policy, and accident-free.

If you are trying to find cheap insurance quotes, ask each company which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts may not be available in your area. To view insurers that offer some of these discounts, click this link.

Finding auto insurance

When comparison shopping, there are several ways to compare prices from many available auto insurance companies in your state. The fastest way to find affordable 2001 Ford Focus insurance rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

  1. If you’re in a hurry, the quickest way to get quotes is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for each company. Just one form gets coverage cost estimates from auto insurance companies with the best prices. This is by far the quickest method.
  2. A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online is going to each company website and fill out their own quote form. For example, we’ll pretend you want to view quotes from USAA, Allstate and Geico. You would be required to go to every website to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which can get rather old. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare nearly identical coverages and limits for each price quote. If you enter different deductibles you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison. Slightly different insurance coverages could throw off the whole comparison. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that getting more free quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price. Some regional insurers cannot provide price estimates online, so it’s recommended that you also compare quotes from the smaller companies as well.

Informed drivers can reduce insurance rates

Lots of factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, but others are less obvious such as your marital status or how safe your car is.

Shown below are a few of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rates.

  • Advanced theft deterrents – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Systems that thwart theives like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart vehicle theft.
  • Little extras can really add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, towing, and extra equipment coverage may not be needed and are just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so think about removing them and cutting costs.
  • Commute or pleasure use – The more miles you rack up on your Ford in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Almost all companies calculate rates based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that have low annual miles get more affordable rates than those that get driven frequently. Make sure your car insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the proper vehicle usage. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Focus can result in significantly higher rates.
  • Cautious drivers pay less – Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost substantially. Drivers unfortunate enough to have severe citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to maintain a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to legally drive.
  • Don’t let your coverage lapse – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a quick way to drive up your policy premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine. You could then be forced to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department.

When to get professional advice

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique.

These are some specific questions could help you determine if your situation may require specific advice.

  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
  • Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
  • Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Well known brands might not be cheapest

Big name companies like Allstate and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to seem to make the promise of big savings just by moving your policy. How does every insurance company charge less that you’re paying now? You have to listen carefully.

All the different companies have strict underwriting profiles for a prospective insured that will add to their bottom line. One example of a desirable risk could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A driver who meets those qualifications will most likely get cheap rates and will probably save when switching.

Potential insureds who cannot meet the “perfect” profile will get a more expensive rate and the customer not purchasing. The trick is to say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much. This is how companies can make claims like that.

This really illustrates why you really need to get insurance quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Coverages available on your policy

Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Focus 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 claims such as backing into a parked car, rolling your car, crashing into a ditch and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like vandalism, theft, hitting a deer and falling objects. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for liability – This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see values of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers claims such as pain and suffering, funeral expenses, medical expenses and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills for things like nursing services, hospital visits, ambulance fees and chiropractic care. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your 2001 Ford Focus.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Knowledge is power

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.

We just presented some good ideas how to save on 2001 Ford Focus insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company.

Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, delays in paying claims, unfair underwriting practices or even poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company is less work than it seems.

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