Save on 1998 Dodge Stratus Insurance Rates

I can’t think of a single person who looks forward to buying insurance, particularly when they are paying too much.

Big-name insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive all claim big savings with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flashy ads and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

You need to check insurance prices on a regular basis because rates go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the best price for Stratus coverage a year ago you can probably find a better price now. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about insurance because it’s time to teach you the tricks you need to know to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

Get lower rates on 1998 Dodge Stratus insurance

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically before they will apply.

  • New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
  • Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Good Student Discount – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
  • Paperless Signup – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money because owning a home shows financial diligence.
  • One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like you could get a free insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

A partial list of companies that possibly offer these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:

Double check with each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not be available in your area.

How to Compare Car Insurance

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You could waste time talking about coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to maximize your effort.

Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each company.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to using this type of system is you can’t choose which providers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare prices, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.

Whichever way you use, make sure you use the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If you are comparing different values for each quote it will be impossible to determine the best price for your Dodge Stratus. Having just a slight variation in limits can make a big difference in price. It’s important to know that comparing more company’s prices gives you a better chance of getting the best offered rates.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions might point out if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
  • Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
  • How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Auto insurance 101

Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Auto liability insurance

This will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. This coverage protects you against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, medical services, court costs, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

UM/UIM Coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Dodge Stratus.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like hitting a deer, a broken windshield and hail damage. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical costs insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for bills for ambulance fees, funeral costs, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision insurance

Collision insurance covers damage to your Stratus resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for claims like driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Save your hard earned cash

Lower-priced 1998 Dodge Stratus insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

We’ve covered many ideas to get a better price on insurance. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

For more information, take a look at the resources below: