Trying to come up with a payment for high-priced insurance coverage can take a big chunk out of your monthly budget and force you to prioritize other expenses. Many insurers compete for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute best rates possible.
Auto insurance companies do not advertise all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so below is a list some of the more common and the more hidden auto insurance savings.
One last thing about discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though it appears you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
Before purchasing a policy, check with every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some credits may not be offered in your area.
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your insurance needs may require specific advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Consumers can’t avoid all the ads for the lowest price car insurance by State Farm, Allstate and Geico. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you just switch to them.
But how can every company claim to save you money? Here is how they do it.
Many companies quote their best rates for the driver that will most likely be profitable. A good example of a profitable risk profile could possibly be a female over age 40, carries full coverage, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” receive the lowest rate quotes and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.
Potential insureds who are not a match for these criteria may be forced to pay higher prices which leads to the customer buying from a different company. The wording the ads use say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the savings.
This really illustrates why you really need to compare free auto insurance quotes often. It is impossible to guess which car insurance company will have the lowest rates for your situation.
Knowing the specifics of insurance can help you determine the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.
Liability coverage
Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, 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 injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things like structural damage, medical services, attorney fees and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like X-ray expenses, nursing services and doctor visits. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Ford Freestyle.
Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage pays for damage to your Freestyle caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb and colliding with a tree. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hitting a deer, fire damage and vandalism. The most your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to reduce 2005 Ford Freestyle insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding cheap auto insurance. Consumers may even find the lowest prices are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies often have lower rates on specific markets than their larger competitors like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Some insurance providers may not offer rate quotes online and usually these smaller providers work with independent agents. The cheapest 2005 Ford Freestyle insurance can be bought online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection.
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