Price shopping your car insurance could be quite difficult for drivers who are beginners to shopping for insurance online. With more and more companies competing online, it can be a difficult situation to find cheaper car insurance rates.
Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You could waste time driving to insurance companies in your area, or you could use online quotes to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many insurance companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers enter their coverage request one time, and at least one company can give them a price based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote forms to every company.
To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).
The one downside to using this type of form is you are unable to specify the providers to receive prices from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a page of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Whichever method you choose, make sure you compare equivalent quote data on every quote you get. If each company quotes unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be nearly impossible to get a fair rate comparison. Even a minor difference in coverage limits could skew the results. And when comparing insurance coverage rates, know that comparing more rates from different companies helps you find a lower rate.
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every disount available very clearly, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If you do not double check each discount possible, you are throwing money away.
Policy discounts save money, but many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.
Some of the larger companies that have most of the discounts above are:
Before purchasing a policy, check with every prospective company how many discounts you can get. A few discounts might not be offered on policies in your state. To choose auto insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates, follow this link.
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique.
These are some specific questions might point out if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Audi S8.
Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things such as rolling your car, hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability can pay for things like emergency aid, attorney fees, medical services, bail bonds and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as large an amount as possible.
This coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, damage from flooding, vandalism and hail damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for bills such as doctor visits, nursing services and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. They cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, policy non-renewal, high prices and even being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching insurance companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
More affordable insurance can be bought on the web as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get quotes online and these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agents.
When searching for cheap auto insurance quotes, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the lowest possible cost.