There isn’t anyone who anticipates paying for car insurance, especially when they are aware that they are paying too much. Many insurers vie for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company and get the definite best price available.
It’s important to compare rates quite often because car insurance rates change frequently. If you had the lowest rate on Sprinter coverage at your last renewal you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest and easiest way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
Car insurance companies do not advertise all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details a few of the more well known as well as the least known discounts that may be available.
Don’t be shocked that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
Double check with each insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply to policies everywhere. For a list of car insurance companies that offer multiple discounts, click this link.
There are a variety of methods to shop for auto insurance, but there is one way that is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could waste time talking to insurance agencies in your area, or you could use online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Many of the larger companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each participating company provides a quote for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote requests for each company. To find out how much you can save on auto insurance click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly which companies you want to price. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we have a listing of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, make sure you use equivalent coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you enter different liability limits it will be impossible to determine which company has the best rates.
When it comes to choosing the best insurance coverage coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most insurance policies.
Medical expense coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses like EMT expenses, chiropractic care, prosthetic devices and surgery. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision protection
This pays for damage to your Sprinter resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for things such as sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a deer, damage from getting keyed, fire damage and hitting a bird. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Liability auto insurance
Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people in an accident. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things like bail bonds, loss of income, emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy as much as you can afford.
Budget-friendly insurance coverage can be purchased both online and from local agencies, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance coverage companies may not have rate quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
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