Are you drained from not being able to scrape enough together each month for insurance coverage? You have the same problem as many other vehicle owners. Multiple auto insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute best rates possible.
It’s important to compare prices quite often because insurance coverage prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best deal on Jetta insurance on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because you’re going to learn how to use the internet to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. Consumers just need to know the proper way to get comparison rates over the internet.
Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking about coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you can utilize online quoting to get prices fast.
The majority of car insurance companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers complete one form, and at least one company can provide price quotes based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each individual car insurance company.
To compare pricing click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to using this type of form is that you can’t choose which companies to receive prices from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but do your best to use equivalent deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If the quotes have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to get a fair rate comparison.
Consumers can’t avoid all the ads for cheaper auto insurance from the likes of Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the point about saving some big amount just by switching to them.
How can each company make almost identical claims? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Insurance providers quote the lowest rates for the type of insured that is profitable for them. One example of this type of risk profile may be between the ages of 30 and 45, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. A customer who matches that profile will get low premium rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
People who don’t qualify for these stringent criteria will probably have to pay more expensive rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. If you listen closely, the ads state “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s the way companies can truthfully make claims like that. Because of these techniques, you should get as many free insurance coverage quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might already qualify for some discounts that you may not even know about. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of quoting, but a few must be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you could be paying more than you need to.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that adding up those discounts means a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
Popular car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each company or agent how many discounts you can get. Some credits may not be available in your area. To see providers that offer the discounts shown above, follow this link.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on most car insurance policies.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like hail damage, fire damage, theft, hitting a bird and a broken windshield. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage pays for damage to your Jetta resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for things like damaging your car on a curb, backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability
Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like legal defense fees, loss of income, medical expenses, medical services and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills for hospital visits, funeral costs, chiropractic care, EMT expenses and pain medications. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Some insurance providers may not offer price quotes online and many times these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies. Budget-friendly insurance coverage is possible online as well as from independent agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price while still protecting your assets.
Additional insurance coverage information can be read below: