Searching for lower priced car insurance might appear somewhat intimidating for people not familiar with shopping for insurance online. With so many agents and insurers to choose from, how can drivers have a chance to compare all the different companies and get the best pricing?
Buying car insurance is not that difficult. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. But drivers need to have an understanding of how companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
There are multiple methods to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste a few hours (or days) driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you can utilize the web to get the quickest rates.
Most car insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and at least one company provides a quote. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for every auto insurance company.
To use this form to compare rates click here to open in new window.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is that you can’t choose the providers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples information with each company. If you compare different data it’s impossible to truly determine the lowest rate. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages or limits may cause a big price difference. And when comparison shopping, comparing more rates from different companies gives you a better chance of getting a better price. Not every company provides online price quotes, so you need to compare prices from them, too.
Some providers don’t always publicize all disounts very clearly, so the next list breaks down a few of the more well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride. Any qualifying discounts will positively reduce your policy cost.
A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
When getting free insurance coverage quotes, it’s a good idea to each company or agent to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policyholders in your area. To see a list of car insurance companies with the best discounts, follow this link.
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.
For example, these questions may help highlight if you might need an agent’s assistance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand some of the elements that help determine your premiums. If you know what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that could help you find much lower annual insurance costs. Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like an MVR report, but some are less obvious like your continuous coverage or your financial responsibility.
The factors shown below are a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting your rate level.
Popular insurance coverage providers such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to state the claim that you’ll save big if you change your coverage to them. How do they all charge less that you’re paying now? This is the way they can do it.
Many companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of this type of insured could possibly be over age 30, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. Anyone that matches those criteria will get a cheap rate quote as well as save when switching.
Drivers who fall short of the ideal profile must pay a higher premium which leads to the prospect going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can lure you into getting a quote. Because each company has a different risk profile, drivers must do a quote comparison often. Because you cannot predict with any certainty which company will be your best fit.
Understanding the coverages of insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Collision insurance pays for damage to your TrailBlazer EXT resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, damage from getting keyed, falling objects, vandalism and hail damage. The maximum amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your 2006 Chevy TrailBlazer EXT.
Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like rehabilitation expenses, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses, nursing services and chiropractic care. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Cost effective 2006 Chevy TrailBlazer EXT insurance is available online as well as from independent agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don’t offer online price quotes and many times these regional carriers sell through independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice full coverage to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as delays in paying claims, delays in responding to claim requests, unfair underwriting practices or denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.