Finding and buying car insurance is not something people enjoy, but it has to be done before the rubber hits the road.
Consumers need to get comparison quotes quite often because insurance rates change quite often. Just because you had the best price on Bravada coverage a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to use online quotes to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.
Finding the best rates is quite easy. In a nutshell, every vehicle owner who carries car insurance stands a good chance to be able to lower their premiums. But drivers need to learn the way insurance companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.
Shopping for lower insurance rates is a ton of work if you aren’t aware of the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend countless hours talking to agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get the quickest rates.
Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and each participating company provides a quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to every company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which providers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of low cost insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.
Whichever way you use, make sure you use exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If your comparisons have different values for each quote you can’t possibly make an equal comparison. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits could mean much higher rates. Just remember that comparing a large number of companies helps you find lower pricing.
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine your insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in better insurance rates.
Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every available discount very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
Companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts are:
Before buying, ask every prospective company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts might not apply in your state.
When choosing adequate coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
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. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Liability insurance – This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not 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 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as legal defense fees, funeral expenses, structural damage and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims like hitting a parking meter, sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hitting a deer, fire damage, theft, vandalism and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills for things like EMT expenses, doctor visits and ambulance fees. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers 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
Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, policy cancellation, high rates after DUI convictions and questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to reduce 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from the smaller companies.
Discount insurance can be bought both online and with local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
Much more information about auto insurance is located at these links: