Scraping up a payment for high-priced Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances.
Multiple insurance companies compete for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a company to get the best rates possible.
Many things are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but others are not as apparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.
Listed below are just a few of the factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rates.
The fastest way that we advise to compare car insurance company rates is to realize most of the larger companies participate in online systems to compare rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information such as if you have a valid license, whether you drive to work or school, the year, make and model of vehicles, and how much coverage you want. The data gets transmitted to multiple companies and they return cost estimate with very little delay.
Some companies don’t always advertise every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down a few of the more common as well as the least known credits available to you.
One last thing about discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.
For a list of insurance companies that offer multiple discounts, follow this link.
When choosing the best insurance coverage coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This coverage provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Liability car insurance
Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for things such as medical services, medical expenses and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical expenses
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses for things like X-ray expenses, hospital visits and pain medications. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision insurance covers damage to your Explorer Sport Trac resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with a tree, hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail, crashing into a ditch and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive car insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Cheaper auto insurance can be bought both online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide internet price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but do not skimp to save money.
Additional information can be read on the following sites: