Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out.
With consumers having so many choices of insurance companies, it can be diffult for consumers to find the most cost effective provider.
The purpose of this post is to instruct you on the most effective way to quote insurance. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. But vehicle owners do need to know the way insurance companies price online insurance and apply this information to your search.
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but some must be asked for before you will receive the discount.
It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.
To see a list of insurers with discount insurance coverage rates, follow this link.
There are a lot of ways to compare insurance coverage prices but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You could waste time driving to agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to quickly compare rates.
Most of the larger companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and each company provides a quote determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions to each individual insurance coverage company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.
The only downside to using this type of system is you can’t choose the companies to get quotes from. If you prefer to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we put together a list of insurance coverage companies in your area. Click to view list.
It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using identical deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If each company quotes different values for each quote you will not be able to decipher which rate is best. Quoting even small variations in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when quoting insurance coverage, remember that getting more free quotes will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.
When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions can help discover whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass and damage from flooding. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits 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 property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for claims like medical services, funeral expenses and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
This covers damage to your Five Hundred resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like pain medications, rehabilitation expenses, surgery, dental work and funeral costs. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Lower-priced 2009 Ford Five Hundred insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.
More information can be found at these links: