2010 BMW 1 Series Car Insurance Quotes – 9 Tips for Cheapest Rates

Shoppers have lots of choices when shopping for affordable BMW 1 Series insurance. You can either waste hours driving around trying to get quotes or save time using the internet to make rate comparisons. There are more efficient ways to shop for car insurance and we’ll show you the absolute fastest way to quote coverages for a new or used BMW and locate the cheapest rates from both online companies and local agents.

Consumers should take time to take a look at other company’s rates quite often because prices are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the best deal on 1 Series coverage a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower premium rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because it’s time to teach you the easiest way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

How to compare insurance quotes

Reducing your 2010 BMW 1 Series insurance rates is a fairly straight forward process. You just have to spend a few minutes on the computer to compare rate quotes from some recommended companies. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  • One of the simplest ways to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company. A single form gets coverage cost estimates instantly. This is by far the quickest method.
  • A different way to get quotes online is to manually visit each company’s website and repeat the quote process. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Geico, Safeco and Allstate. To find out each rate you need to spend time going to each site individually and type in your information over and over, which can be really labor intensive.

    To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

  • The old school way to quote and compare insurance rates is going to insurance agencies in your area. Quoting online eliminates this option unless your situation requires the professional advice of a licensed agent. Some companies do allow you to compare online quotes but buy from a local insurance agent.

Whichever method you choose, make sure you are using the same quote information for each quote you get. If you enter higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to get a fair rate comparison.

Tricks in car insurance advertising

Consumers can’t escape the ads that promise big savings for switching from companies such as Allstate and Progressive. They all seem to tend to make the same promise about how much you will save if you move your car insurance coverage to their company.

How can each company make almost identical claims? Here is the trick they use.

All the different companies have an ideal profile for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. For example, a desirable risk could be over age 30, has a low-risk occupation, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that matches those criteria is entitled to the best price and will most likely cut their rates if they switch.

Drivers who fall outside these stringent criteria will have to pay a higher rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way insurance companies can claim big savings. Because of these techniques, you should get price quotes at each policy renewal. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Car Insurance Discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always advertise the entire discount list very well, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts that may be available. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you could be getting lower rates.

  • Defensive Driver Discount – Completing a class that teaches driver safety techniques may get you a small discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
  • Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small discount on rates on 1 Series coverage.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
  • Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow data collection to scrutinize their driving habits remotely such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate may get a rate reduction if they show good driving skills.
  • Driver Education Discount – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
  • Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction on 1 Series coverage with select insurance companies.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • Life Insurance – Larger insurance carriers have a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.

A quick disclaimer, some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

Popular car insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.

  • State Farm includes discounts for driver’s education, anti-theft, defensive driving training, multiple autos, and Drive Safe & Save.
  • Geico may have discounts that include seat belt use, defensive driver, emergency military deployment, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, five-year accident-free, and good student.
  • Allstate offers premium reductions for safe driver, senior citizen, defensive driver, multi-policy, resident student, new car, and eSmart discount.
  • SAFECO discounts include anti-lock brakes, multi-car, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, anti-theft, and drive less.
  • Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, driver training, renewal discount, safe driver, and 55 and retired.
  • Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, online signing, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-policy, good student, and multi-vehicle.
  • AAA may include discounts for pay-in-full, good student, anti-theft, education and occupation, multi-policy, and AAA membership discount.

If you are trying to find cheap car insurance quotes, ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Discounts might not be available to policyholders everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer free car insurance quotes, click here to view.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

For instance, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

  • Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
  • Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
  • Am I covered if I hit a deer?
  • Is other people’s property covered if stolen from my vehicle?
  • How can I force my company to pay a claim?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Should I have a commercial auto policy?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?

If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.

Insurance coverages and their meanings

Understanding the coverages of insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverage

This will pay to fix damage to your 1 Series resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail, crashing into a building and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability

Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see 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 property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability can pay for things like emergency aid, funeral expenses, legal defense fees and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your BMW 1 Series.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive auto coverage

This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like theft, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hail damage. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for things like nursing services, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and funeral costs. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Quote often and quote early

There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agencies. Cheaper 2010 BMW 1 Series insurance is possible online as well as from independent agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

We just showed you many tips how you can compare 2010 BMW 1 Series insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting low cost car insurance. You may even find the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.

As you quote car insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

To learn more, link through to the following helpful articles: