Save on 2014 Ford Escape Insurance Cost

Trying to find the cheapest insurance for a Ford Escape can turn out to be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to make it easier. There are both good and bad ways to find auto insurance online and you need to know the quickest way to price shop coverage for a new or used Ford and obtain the lowest price either online or from local insurance agents.

It’s a good habit to price shop coverage occasionally because insurance prices change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price for Escape insurance six months ago a different company probably has better rate quotes today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

If you have a current insurance coverage policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can learn to cut your premiums while maintaining coverages. Buying affordable coverage is quite easy. Consumers only need to know the most efficient way to shop their coverage around online.

Compare car insurance quotes online

Getting a cheaper price on 2014 Ford Escape insurance is not rocket science. Drivers just need to take time comparing free auto insurance quotes to find. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  1. The most recommended method consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This quick form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms for every car insurance company. One simple form will get you price quotes from all major companies. This is by far the quickest method.
  2. A less efficient way to compare prices consists of going to the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to compare Nationwide, Farmers and Allstate. You would have to take the time to go to each site and type in your information over and over, which can be really labor intensive.

    For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

  3. The most difficult method to comparison shop rate quotes is to spend your day driving to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you have a need for the professional guidance that only an agent can give. Although, it is possible obtain prices from the web but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be certain you are entering nearly identical coverages and limits for each price quote. If the quotes have differing limits it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best.

Save money by taking advantage of discounts

Some companies don’t necessarily list every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details both the well known and also the lesser-known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy auto insurance online.

  • First Accident Forgiveness – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like Allstate and Progressive will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a set time period.
  • Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying in monthly installments you may reduce your total bill.
  • Claim-Free Discount – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less as compared to drivers with a long claim history.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could qualify for a slight premium decrease for Escape insurance but check with your company.
  • Early Renewal Discounts – Some insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
  • E-sign Discounts – Many larger companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy on your computer.

We need to note that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

Large insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.

  • Geico may offer discounts for military active duty, multi-vehicle, air bags, anti-theft, seat belt use, and federal employee.
  • Travelers may include discounts for good student, student away at school, new car, IntelliDrive, continuous insurance, and payment discounts.
  • Nationwide has discounts for accident-free, multi-policy, business or organization, good student, Farm Bureau membership, and defensive driving.
  • Farmers Insurance discounts include switch companies, youthful driver, distant student, mature driver, and early shopping.
  • Esurance offers discounts for online shopper, emergency road assistance, safety device, good student, and anti-theft.
  • State Farm may have discounts that include multiple autos, passive restraint, multiple policy, anti-theft, and good student.
  • Progressive offers discounts including online signing, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, good student, and continuous coverage.
  • Mercury Insurance has savings for annual mileage, location of vehicle, age of vehicle, multi-policy, and anti-theft.

When comparing rates, check with every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not be available in your state.

Smart choices result in lower insurance costs

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that aid in calculating the price you pay for insurance. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that may reward you with lower premium levels. Many factors are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, although some other factors are less apparent like where you live and annual miles driven.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate your premiums.

  • Drive less and pay lower prices – The higher the miles on your Ford every year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Most insurance companies apply a rate based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars and trucks that sit idle most of the time get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. It’s a smart idea to ensure your insurance policy shows the right rating data. An improperly rated Escape is just wasting money.
  • Pay less with a high crash test rating – Safe vehicles tend to have better insurance rates. Highly rated vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts which can result in lower premiums. If your Ford is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it may be receiving lower rates.
  • If you don’t need it don’t buy it – Policies have extra coverages that may not really be needed if you aren’t careful. Insurance for things like rental car reimbursement, death and dismemberment, and Farm Bureau memberships are some examples. You may think they are a good idea when talking to your agent, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so get rid of them and save.
  • Driver age impacts prices – Young drivers are proven to be careless and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore insurance rates are much higher. Older people are shown to be more cautious, cost insurance companies less in claims and receive fewer citations.

How much insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique.

For instance, these questions might point out whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

  • Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
  • What is PIP insurance?
  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • Why do I need rental car insurance?
  • What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
  • What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
  • Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
  • Does my 2014 Ford Escape need full coverage?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Save $394 a year? Really?

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads that claim the cheapest premium rates from companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make the point that you can save just by switching your coverage to them.

Is it even possible that every company can make the same claim? It’s all in the wording.

Car insurance companies have specific criteria for the type of customer that will be a good risk. One example of a profitable risk profile may need to be between the ages of 40 and 55, has a clean driving record, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. Any driver who fits those characteristics will most likely get cheap auto insurance rates and most likely will save if they switch.

People who may not quite match these standards will be quoted more expensive rates and ends up with the customer buying from someone else. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” will save that much if they switch. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. Each company has different criteria, so drivers should compare many company’s premium rates. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will have the lowest auto insurance rates for your situation.

Information about specific coverages

Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as emergency aid, medical services, pain and suffering, bail bonds and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

Collision insurance

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Escape resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a parking meter, sideswiping another vehicle and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hail damage, vandalism, damage from flooding, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for things like pain medications, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and hospital visits. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your 2014 Ford Escape.

Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.

Don’t throw your cash in the trash

As you quote auto insurance, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.

You just learned some good ideas how you can reduce 2014 Ford Escape insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the smaller companies.

Insureds change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, questionable increases in premium and lack of trust in their agent. Whatever your reason, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

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