GMC C1500 Pickup Insurance – 8 Tips to Lower Rates

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse.

Online insurance companies like GEICO, Farmers Insurance and State Farm all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.

Take these eight discounts and save

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Life Insurance – Some companies give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
Discount for Good Grades – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Defensive Driving Course – Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Senior Discount – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums on C1500 pickup coverage.
Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

Compare online but buy from a local agent

Certain consumers just want to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find better rates but also keep your business local.

By using this short form, your insurance data is instantly submitted to insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. You’ll get the best rates and work with a local agent.

Choosing an provider requires more thought than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:

Who are their largest clients?
If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?

The type of auto insurance agent you choose is important

When finding a good insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents from which to choose. agents are categorized either captive or independent.

Agency Captives

This type of agents have only one company to place business with like State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are well schooled in insurance sales which can be an advantage.

Independent Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you contact multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

For a full directory of insurance agencies, visit this site.

After getting answers to your satisfaction to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance. Keep in mind policyholders can cancel a policy at any time so don’t feel you’re contractually obligated to a specific agent for the full term. insurance banner

Drivers who switch save $448 a year? Really?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you move your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, owns a home, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who fall outside these standards will have to pay higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you should get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Detailed coverages of your auto insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find the usual coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hail damage, damage from getting keyed and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Liability

Liability coverage will cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for things like funeral expenses, legal defense fees, medical services, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your GMC C1500 Pickup.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for expenses for doctor visits, X-ray expenses, surgery, chiropractic care and nursing services. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Collision coverage protection

This will pay to fix damage to your C1500 Pickup resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car, colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Best coverage at the best price

Budget-conscious GMC C1500 Pickup insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.