Insurance shopping is not a task consumers enjoy, but like it or not it is mandatory to be legal behind the wheel.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is quite easy. Essentially every vehicle owner who buys insurance coverage will be able to find lower rates. But consumers do need to learn how the larger insurance companies compete online and apply this information to your search.
All the larger insurance coverage companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm allow you to get insurance quotes on their websites. Obtaining pricing is quite simple as you simply enter your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. Once you submit the form, the company’s rating system gets information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price based on these and other factors.
This simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to a lot of sites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the lowest price.
Quote rates the easy way
An easier way to compare insurance coverage pricing utilizes a single form that gets prices from a bunch of companies at once. It’s a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes comparison shopping much more efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it gets priced and you can choose any or none of the resulting price quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. It only takes a few minutes and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now, click here to open in new window and fill out the form. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you duplicate the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you are getting a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.
Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise every discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.
Insurance companies that possibly offer these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:
Check with each insurance company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your state.
When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
For example, these questions might help in determining whether you would benefit from professional advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Ford Econoline Cargo.
Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills such as chiropractic care, doctor visits, ambulance fees and nursing services. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage – This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and vandalism. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Auto liability – This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against claims like bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.
Collision – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Econoline Cargo from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.