Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out. Companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive continually bombard you with catchy ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.
It’s important to price shop coverage at least once a year because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price on Escape insurance a year ago you may be paying too much now. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance online, so I’m going to show you some great ideas on how to find affordable auto insurance.
If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Buying car insurance is quite easy. Consumers just need to understand the most efficient way to find the lowest price online.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some must be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will bring down the cost of coverage.
A partial list of companies that may have these discounts include:
It’s a good idea to ask every prospective company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts might not be offered everywhere.
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you can save after switching to them.
How does each company make the same claim?
All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a preferred risk could be over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A customer who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Consumers who don’t meet these standards will have to pay higher prices which leads to business not being written. The ads say “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully claim big savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest Ford Escape insurance rates.
When buying the best insurance coverage coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions could help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.
Liability insurance – Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for things like pain and suffering, legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, structural damage and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Escape caused by 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 things such as crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Normally these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive coverages – This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hail damage, damage from getting keyed, vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane and theft. The most your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses like surgery, rehabilitation expenses and doctor visits. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
You just read a lot of information how to shop for 2002 Ford Escape insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like State Farm and Allstate.
Discount insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Additional insurance information can be read at the links below