Looking for the cheapest car insurance rates for your Volkswagen Passat? Are you irritated from scraping nickels together to pay car insurance each month? You have the same problem as millions of other consumers.
Due to the increasing number of insurance providers from which to choose, it’s difficult to choose a more affordable car insurance company.
You should make it a habit to compare premium rates before your next renewal since rates are variable and change quite frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal on Passat coverage six months ago you may be paying too much now. You can find a lot of information about car insurance on the internet, but in this article, you’re going to get some great ideas on how to slash your car insurance rates.
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so below is a list both the well known and the more hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
A few popular companies and some of their more popular discounts include:
Before buying, ask each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Savings might not apply everywhere.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Big name companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads in print and on television. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big after switching to them. It sounds good, but how can they all charge less that you’re paying now? This is the way they can do it.
Insurance providers give the cheapest rates for the right customer that will generate a profit. For instance, this type of driver should be over the age of 50, carries full coverage, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Anyone who meets those qualifications will get very good car insurance rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates if they switch.
Consumers who don’t qualify for these standards will have to pay higher prices and business going elsewhere. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That is how insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best car insurance rates.
Because every company is different, you absolutely need to compare many company’s car insurance rates. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.
Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Auto liability insurance – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 which means $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 combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things like attorney fees, structural damage and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Medical expense insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills like ambulance fees, chiropractic care, nursing services, dental work and funeral costs. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Volkswagen Passat.
Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, hail damage and falling objects. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverages – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things like scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, backing into a parked car and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
As you prepare to switch companies, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cheaper insurance is definitely available online and from local agencies, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not have price quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.