Think you have overpriced insurance? You’re preaching to the choir because you’re not the only one. Lots of insurers contend for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the lowest rate
Auto insurance is not inexpensive, but you might find some hidden discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be manually applied before being credited.
It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride. But any discount will help lower your premiums.
A few popular companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
If you need lower rates, check with all the companies which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts listed above might not be offered on policies in your area. To see insurance companies who offer discounts, click here to view.
When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions might help in determining if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Consumers can’t get away from ads that claim the lowest prices from companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico. All the ads have a common claim about how much you will save if you move your coverage to them.
How do they all claim to save you money?
Different companies have an ideal profile for the type of insured that earns them the most money. For instance, this type of risk profile might have to be over the age of 45, insures multiple vehicles, and does not commute to work. Anyone who fits that profile will get low prices as well as save if they switch.
Potential insureds who do not fit the requirements will get higher rates which results in business going elsewhere. The ads say “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way insurance companies can make those statements.
Each company has different criteria, so drivers should do a price quote comparison at every renewal. Because you never know which auto insurance company will fit you best based on your risk profile.
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as sideswiping another vehicle, rolling your car and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as damage from getting keyed, hail damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass and fire damage. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for liability – This coverage will cover damage that occurs to a person or their property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims like court costs, repair costs for stationary objects, medical services and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Insurance for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like surgery, funeral costs, EMT expenses, hospital visits and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Budget-friendly car insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer price quotes online and usually these smaller providers sell through independent agents.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to compare 2001 Saab 9-3 insurance auto insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of getting low cost insurance coverage. Consumers could even find that the best auto insurance rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like State Farm and Allstate.
Additional car insurance information can be read at the links below