Shopping for the lowest cost insurance on the web is somewhat difficult for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. With so many companies competing online, how can you have a chance to compare every one to find the best available price?
Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you aren’t aware of the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a lot of time driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use the web to get the quickest rates.
Many companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and each company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for every car insurance company.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The only downside to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify which carriers to get quotes from. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click to view list.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use the exact same coverage limits for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles you can’t possibly truly determine the lowest rate. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. It’s important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes will increase your chances of finding a lower rate.
Companies don’t always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
Companies who might offer some of the above discounts include:
Before buying, ask each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts might not apply in every state.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.
When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For example, these questions might help in determining whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.
Understanding the coverages of your policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Collision coverage protection
This will pay to fix damage to your S4 resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims like crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Medical expense insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills like EMT expenses, funeral costs, pain medications, X-ray expenses and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer, hitting a bird and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount 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 not worth carrying full coverage.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Liability coverages
This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against things like attorney fees, bail bonds and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.
We just covered quite a bit of information on how to lower your 2001 Audi S4 insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a small local company.
When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice collision coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like delays in paying claims, lack of trust in their agent, denial of a claim or even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new company is actually quite simple.