Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me when I say you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Many insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the lowest price
All major car insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico provide pricing on their websites. Getting quotes is quite simple as you just type in your personal and coverage information into a form. When complete, their system automatically retrieves your driving record and credit report and generates a price determined by many factors. Online quotes helps simplify price comparisons, but the time required to go to many different websites and type in the same information can be a bit repetitive. But it’s very important to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the best price on car insurance.
Quote rates the easy way
An easier way to lower your car insurance bill is to use a quote form to return rates from several companies at one time. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes online quotes much easier. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you can select your choice of the quotes returned. If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and buy the new coverage. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
To compare pricing, simply click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you input coverages and limits as shown on your current policy. This helps ensure you will get an apples-to-apples comparison for similar coverage.
Companies that sell car insurance do not list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Companies who might offer some of the above discounts include:
Double check with every prospective company how you can save money. Some discounts may not apply everywhere.
When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages available from insurance companies.
Coverage for liability – This coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as legal defense fees, structural damage, medical services, repair costs for stationary objects and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Collision – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Quest caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your 1993 Nissan Quest.
Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Comprehensive coverage – This coverage pays for 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 can pay for claims such as fire damage, hail damage, damage from getting keyed and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills for things like X-ray expenses, pain medications, nursing services, chiropractic care and hospital visits. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage