Expensive car insurance can dwindle your personal savings and force you to prioritize other expenses. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.
Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive promote their brand names with ads and it is difficult to avoid their marketing magic and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
It’s a good idea to compare prices at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the lowest price on Jimmy insurance on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some tested techniques to find affordable car insurance.
If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Finding affordable coverage is not rocket science. But consumers can benefit from knowing the way companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.
All major auto insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico quote coverage price quotes online. This process doesn’t take much effort as you simply enter your coverage information into the quote form. After you complete the form, the company’s rating system requests your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information based on many factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this in order to get a lower rate.
A quicker way to locate the lowest prices uses one simple form that obtains quotes from many companies. It saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes online quotes much simpler. After your information is entered, it is rated and you can choose your choice of the quotes that you receive. If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process takes just a few minutes to complete and may result in a nice savings.
To save time and find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you copy deductibles and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you’re receiving a rate comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.
When buying the best insurance coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, fire damage, hail damage, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses like rehabilitation expenses, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They 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 is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things such as scraping a guard rail, rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole and colliding with a tree. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverage – Liability insurance will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
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 limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability insurance covers claims such as attorney fees, bail bonds and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible.