Vehicle owners fed up with high insurance quotes and are new to shopping for car insurance online may discover purchasing the cheapest auto insurance is tougher than they thought.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. This information will help you learn how to get online quotes. But car owners do need to understand how big insurance companies price online insurance.
There are a variety of methods to compare insurance quotes, but some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you can stay home and use the internet to get prices fast.
All the larger companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and every company can provide price quotes. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company.
To use this form to compare rates click here to open in new window.
The single downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly the providers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we put together a list of companies who write insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just do your best to enter the same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If each company quotes differing limits you can’t possibly get a fair rate comparison. Just a small difference in coverages may cause a big price difference. Just remember that comparing a wide range of rates gives you a better chance of getting the best rates. Some smaller insurers to not give online price quotes, so it’s important to also get prices from those companies as well.
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.
For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, 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.
Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as hail damage, hitting a deer, fire damage, falling objects and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical expense insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for immediate expenses such as chiropractic care, nursing services and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Liability car insurance
Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as repair costs for stationary objects, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, legal defense fees, medical expenses and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Range Rover Sport resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things such as hitting a mailbox, driving through your garage door, hitting a parking meter, sideswiping another vehicle and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.