Having to pay for overpriced insurance can dwindle your monthly budget, especially in this economy. Since people have many options when it comes to insurance, it is very difficult to pick a lower cost insurance company.
The purpose of this article is to let you in on how car insurance quotes work and some money-saving tips. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Drivers just need to learn the tricks to get comparison rates online.
There are a variety of methods you can shop for insurance coverage and some are easier and takes less work. You can spend countless hours talking to local insurance agents in your area, or you could save time and use the web to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many popular insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company returns a rated price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests to each company. To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The one downside to using this type of system is you can’t choose the insurers to get quotes from. So if you want to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have a listing of the cheapest insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make sure you use identical quote information on every quote you get. If you are comparing different deductibles it will be very difficult to find the best deal for your Honda S2000.
Companies don’t always advertise all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy insurance coverage online.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts are included below.
Double check with each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. A few discounts might not be offered in your state. To locate auto insurance companies that offer discounts, click here.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions might help in determining whether or not you may require specific advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to 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’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your S2000 resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole and backing into a parked car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Honda S2000.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses for pain medications, X-ray expenses and dental work. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability insurance – This can cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property in an accident. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims, 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 policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers things such as loss of income, emergency aid and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive auto coverage – This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like theft, hitting a bird and vandalism. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.