Are you overwhelmed by the wide range of insurance coverage company choices? Many other consumers are too. Drivers have so many options available that it can turn into a ton of work to find the best price.
The best way we recommend to compare rates is to know the trick auto insurance companies actually pay money for the chance to give you rate quotes. To get started, all you need to do is provide a small amount of information like if a SR-22 is needed, if it has an alarm system, if you lease or own, and if your license is active. Your details is then submitted to insurance companies and you should receive rate quotes almost instantly.
Car insurance companies don’t always list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
For example, these questions can aid in determining if you would benefit from professional advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.
Learning about specific coverages of insurance aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Liability auto insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 that translate to a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage pays for claims like legal defense fees, court costs, pain and suffering and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Collision insurance
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things such as backing into a parked car, sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with a tree, colliding with another moving vehicle and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Coverage for medical expenses
Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like EMT expenses, ambulance fees, pain medications, dental work and funeral costs. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. 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 coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive insurance
This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.