Trying to find the cheapest car insurance rates for your Chevrolet Monte Carlo? Are you burned out from scraping the payment together to buy car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers.
You have so many insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, it can be more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.
This article will tell you the best way to quote coverages and some tricks to saving. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Although vehicle owners benefit from understanding the way insurance companies sell insurance online.
To find the best auto insurance rates, there are several ways to compare prices from many auto insurance companies in your state. The easiest way to do a complete rate comparison involves getting comparison quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in a couple minutes as outlined below.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but make darn sure you compare exactly the same information for each price quote. If you have different liability limits it will be nearly impossible to make an equal comparison. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. Keep in mind that getting more free quotes provides better odds of finding more affordable insurance.
Companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to advertise the message that you’ll save big if you just switch your coverage to them. Is it even possible that every company can lower your premium rates? This is the trick they use.
All companies provide the lowest rates for a prospective insured they prefer to insure. One example of a driver they prefer should be a mature driver, has had continuous coverage, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits those characteristics will qualify for the lowest auto insurance rates and have a good chance to save if they switch.
Drivers who don’t meet these criteria will get higher premium rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save the amount stated. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.
Because of this risk profiling, you really should get car insurance quotes as often as possible. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will have the best rates at this point in time.
When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand the different types of things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you know what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find lower rates. Multiple criteria are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic such as your driving record, although others are more obscure such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are.
The following are some of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine your rates.
Auto insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not know about. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but some discounts are required to be asked about prior to receiving the credit.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, nobody gets a free ride.
Auto insurance companies that may include some of the above discounts are:
It’s a good idea to ask each company which credits you are entitled to. Discounts may not apply to policies in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of companies that offer the discounts shown above, click here to view.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages offered by insurance companies.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for immediate expenses like doctor visits, funeral costs and pain medications. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see values of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, 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 combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things such as structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical services and court costs. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things like driving through your garage door, damaging your car on a curb and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as damage from flooding, rock chips in glass, hitting a deer, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and fire damage. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Cost effective 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo insurance can be purchased online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get free car insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not have rate quotes online and these smaller providers only sell through local independent agencies.
When getting car insurance quotes online, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
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