Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are many drivers thinking the same thing. There are many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
Comparing auto insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t utilize the easiest way. You can waste hours talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Many companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers submit their information once, and each participating company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to start a free quote.
The only downside to doing it this way is you can’t choose the companies to receive prices from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just try to keep the exact same coverages on every quote. If the quotes have different deductibles it will be very difficult to truly determine the lowest rate.
Companies don’t always list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that may be available.
Just know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.
The best insurance coverage companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
If you need affordable auto insurance quotes, ask every insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts listed above may not apply in your area.
When buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions might help in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Having a good grasp of insurance helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages available from insurance companies.
Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims such as structural damage, pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible.
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for things like hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
This protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your 2006 Pontiac Vibe.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for immediate expenses for things like pain medications, chiropractic care, funeral costs and X-ray expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like damage from flooding, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass and falling objects. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.