I doubt anyone looks forward to paying premiums for car insurance, especially when they know their premiums are too high. Consumers have multiple auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare company pricing.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts that you may not know about. Some of these disounts will be visible when you purchase, but some need to be requested specifically before being credited. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you could be paying more than you need to.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To view insurers offering auto insurance discounts, click this link.
When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the normal coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses such as doctor visits, prosthetic devices, funeral costs, nursing services and ambulance fees. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your A4 resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things like driving through your garage door, crashing into a building, sideswiping another vehicle and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a bird and damage from getting keyed. The most a auto 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 consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Liability coverages – Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for claims like loss of income, pain and suffering, legal defense fees and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
While you’re price shopping online, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.
Lower-priced car insurance is attainable both online in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies work with independent agents.
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