No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much.
There is such a variety of auto insurance companies to choose from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, having more car insurance companies makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before being credited.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.
Companies that may offer these benefits include:
Double check with every prospective company which discounts they offer. Savings may not be available everywhere.
When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Collision protection
This pays for damage to your FJ Cruiser resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things like hitting a parking meter, damaging your car on a curb and crashing into a building. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Auto liability insurance
This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not 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. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability insurance covers things such as emergency aid, attorney fees and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses like X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive auto coverage
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 coverage protects against things such as hitting a deer, a broken windshield, falling objects, fire damage and theft. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to compare 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.
Cost effective insurance is possible both online in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.