Are you tired of scraping nickels together to buy auto insurance? Your situation is no different than many other drivers. You have multiple car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest rates.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is not that difficult. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Drivers only need an understanding of the best way to buy car insurance over the internet.
Discounts for lower-cost insurance coverage rates
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts very well, so we break down some of the best known as well as the least known ways to save on insurance coverage.
- Resident Student – Kids who live away from home to go to college and leave their car at home could qualify for this discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – Being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students until age 25.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could trigger a small discount.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance coverage companies provide a discount for buying a new policy prior to the expiration date on your current policy. You could save around 10% when you buy car insurance online.
- Own a Home – Simply owning a home can help you save on insurance coverage because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
- Professional Memberships – Joining certain professional organizations may earn a discount on insurance coverage.
- Telematics Data – Drivers that enable their insurance company to spy on driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may see discounts as long as they are good drivers.
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
A list of insurance coverage companies and the discounts they provide are:
- Progressive offers discounts for continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and online signing.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include youthful driver, pay in full, good student, alternative fuel, and distant student.
- Farm Bureau discounts include renewal discount, safe driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, driver training, good student, and 55 and retired.
- State Farm includes discounts for good student, Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, good driver, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- Geico may offer discounts for emergency military deployment, air bags, federal employee, multi-policy, military active duty, and defensive driver.
- SAFECO may include discounts for safe driver, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, bundle discounts, and accident prevention training.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including safety features, new vehicle discount, hybrid vehicle, exclusive group savings, preferred payment discount, new graduate, and multi-policy.
If you want low cost car insurance quotes, ask each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered in your state. To choose insurers that offer the discounts shown above, click here.
How to buy auto insurance
Finding more affordable auto insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. All you need to do is take a few minutes comparing free car insurance quotes from online providers. Shoppers can get rates in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- If you are pressed for time, the simplest way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. Just one form gets prices estimates from many national carriers.
- A different way to find more affordable insurance requires visiting the website of each company and request a quote. For instance, we’ll assume you want to view quotes from Allstate, Liberty Mutual and American Family. To find out each rate you need to go to each individual site and type in your information over and over, which can get rather old.
For a list of companies in your area, click here.
Take whichever approach you prefer, but be certain you are entering exactly the same quote information with every price quote. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the lowest rate for your Toyota Land Cruiser.
How insurance companies calculate Toyota Land Cruiser insurance prices
Many different elements are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. A few of the factors are predictable like an MVR report, but other factors are more obscure such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
The following are some of the most rate-impacting factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Most larger insurance companies give discounts for people that have more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can be ten percent or more. Even with this discount applied, drivers will still want to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money. It’s possible to still save more without the discount by buying from different companies
- Does your job raise your premiums? – Did you know your insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers such as lawyers, social workers and dentists have the highest average rates due to job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, occupations like professors, engineers and homemakers have the lowest average rates for Land Cruiser insurance.
- How much liability do you need? – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. This coverage provides legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- How do annual miles impact premiums? – The more you drive in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. A lot of companies calculate rates based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Autos that do not get driven very much receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s a smart idea to ensure your policy is showing annual mileage, because it can save money. Improper usage on your Land Cruiser can result in significantly higher rates.
- Big city or small town – Being located in areas with lower population has definite advantages when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers on the road means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. People who live in big cities regularly have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. More time on the road means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Never go without insurance – Driving without insurance coverage in place is a big no-no and insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with your state DMV.
- Women tend to take less risk – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Males and females cause fender benders at a similar rate, but men tend to have higher claims. Not only are claims higher, but men receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – Just one citation can increase the cost of insurance twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets pay less for auto insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get multiple violations like DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to maintain a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
Tailor your insurance coverage coverage to you
When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in my state?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in my state?
- How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
- Is upholstery damage covered by car insurance?
- How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Educate yourself about insurance coverages
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Liability insurance – Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability insurance covers things such as medical expenses, pain and suffering and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses for funeral costs, pain medications and chiropractic care. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your Land Cruiser resulting from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch, colliding with another moving vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Comprehensive coverages – This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like a broken windshield, fire damage and hitting a deer. The maximum payout a 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.
Have the Midas touch
There are still a few companies who don’t offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies only sell through local independent agents. Low-cost 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser insurance can be found online and from local insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection.
When getting car insurance quotes online, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped full coverage and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
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