Vehicle owners new to comparing rates online will discover purchasing inexpensive insurance can be quite challenging.
Comparing auto insurance rates can be exhausting if you don’t utilize the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend countless hours discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize online quoting to get pricing more quickly.
Most of the larger companies participate in a marketplace where insurance shoppers send in one quote, and each company can give them a price based on that information. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for each company.
To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.
The only drawback to using this type of system is that consumers can’t choose the providers you want to price. So if you want to select individual companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of low cost auto insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, make absolute certain that you use identical information with every price quote. If the quotes have mixed coverages then you won’t be able to make an equal comparison. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates will enable you to find a better price. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so you need to compare prices from the smaller companies as well.
Car insurance is not cheap, but you might already qualify for some discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts will apply when you purchase, but some discounts are required to be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If you don’t get every credit available, you are throwing money away.
Remember that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
For a list of insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above, click here.
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
For instance, these questions might help in determining if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Many things are part of the equation when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, but other criteria are not as apparent like where you live or your commute time.
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance covers damage to your Optima from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims like hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Liability car insurance
This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like emergency aid, attorney fees and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses such as funeral costs, surgery, prosthetic devices and EMT expenses. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. 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 coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Kia Optima.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as damage from getting keyed, vandalism and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Insureds leave their current company for any number of reasons including poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions and being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.
As you quote insurance, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Cheaper 2004 Kia Optima insurance can be found on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies may not offer online rate quotes and usually these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent agents.
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