Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other consumers.
Big companies like Progressive, State Farm and Geico all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Buying car insurance is not rocket science. Although drivers can benefit from knowing how the larger insurance companies compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.
All the larger insurance companies provide insurance quotes on their websites. The process is pretty easy as you simply type in your required coverages into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the company’s rating system will obtain your driving record and credit report and returns a price determined by many factors. Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to multiple sites and complete many quote forms is monotonous and tiresome. Unfortunately, it is important to do this in order to get the lowest price.
A less time-consuming method to get multiple rate quotes uses one simple form to get prices from more than one company. This type of form saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online shopping a lot less work. After sending your information, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. It only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.
If you want to find out how much you can save on insurance, simply click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you duplicate your coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you will have a fair comparison based on identical coverages.
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every available discount very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Car insurance companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts include:
Before buying, ask all companies you are considering which discounts they offer. Savings may not apply in your area.
When choosing coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions might help in determining if your situation might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
It’s important that you understand the factors that help determine the rates you pay for insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates enables informed choices that could result in better insurance rates.
The following are a partial list of the pieces insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
Understanding the coverages of your policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.
Collision protection
This coverage covers damage to your LS 460 caused by collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims like crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, rolling your car and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability coverages
This can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like legal defense fees, medical services, attorney fees and court costs. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
UM/UIM Coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Lexus LS 460.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Medical costs insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses such as EMT expenses, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees, funeral costs and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
Comprehensive insurance 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 can pay for things like hail damage, falling objects and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Low-cost 2010 Lexus LS 460 insurance can be bought online and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
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