Nobody that owns a car looks forward to paying for car insurance, in particular when they could get a better deal.
Due to the fact that there are so many car insurance companies to choose from, it’s difficult to pick a more affordable insurance company.
Auto insurance is expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked about in order for you to get them.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will lower your overall bill.
To see insurers with discount auto insurance rates, click here.
To find cheap rates, there are a couple of ways to obtain and compare prices from different insurance companies. The simplest method to compare rates consists of shopping online. It’s really quite simple and can be done using a couple different methods.
If you don’t have a lot of time, the easiest way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests for every insurance company. A single form gets you price quotes from several companies.
A different way to shop for insurance online consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For example, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Auto-Owners, State Farm and American Family. You would have to spend time on each company’s site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which can be really labor intensive. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just do your best to use the same information for each comparison quote. If the quotes have different coverage information it will be nearly impossible to truly determine the lowest rate. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits could throw off the whole comparison. Keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates increases the change that you will find the best price.
Part of the car insurance buying process is learning the rating factors that go into determining your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in lower premium levels.
Shown below are just a few of the factors that factor into prices.
When choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
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, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use television, radio, and online ads. All the companies say the same thing about how much you will save if you just switch your coverage to them. How does every company charge you a lower premium? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Insurance companies have underwriting criteria for the type of customer that will add to their bottom line. For example, a profitable insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and drives newer vehicles. Any customer that hits that “sweet spot” will get low rates and most likely will save money with a new company.
Insureds who may not quite match those standards will have to pay a more expensive rate and the prospect going elsewhere. The trick companies use is to say “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save money. This is how companies can make claims like that.
Each company has different criteria, so you really should compare quotes as often as possible. Because you cannot predict which insurance company will have better car insurance rates than you’re paying now.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the usual coverages found on most insurance policies.
Liability insurance – This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things like medical expenses, emergency aid and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive insurance – This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as rock chips in glass, hail damage and theft. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills such as ambulance fees, prosthetic devices and doctor visits. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.
Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Affordable 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class insurance can be sourced online and with local insurance agents, so you need to quote insurance with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
When shopping online for insurance coverage, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More tips and info about insurance coverage is located at these sites: