High-priced auto insurance can deplete your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Doing a rate analysis is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Due to the abundance of options when it comes to auto insurance, it can be challenging to locate the most cost effective company.
Buying car insurance is quite easy. If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Drivers just need to understand the most efficient way to shop online.
Finding a better price on auto insurance can be surprisingly simple. You just have to spend a few minutes to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by using one of the methods below.
For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
The approach you take is up to you, just be sure to compare identical coverage data on every price quote you get. If you are comparing different liability limits it’s not possible to make an equal comparison.
Consumers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the ads state the claim that you’ll save big just by moving your auto insurance coverage to their company.
Is it even possible that every company can sell you cheaper insurance coverage?
Most companies can use profiling for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. An example of this type of insured might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, has other policies, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured who fits that profile will get the preferred car insurance rates and will most likely save when switching.
Potential customers who do not meet those standards will see higher premium rates with the end result being the customer not purchasing. The ad wording is “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. Because of this risk profiling, you should get as many as possible. It is just not possible to predict with any certainty which company will give you lower premium rates than your current company.
Some insurers don’t always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are just wasting money.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it’s just not the way it works.
If you would like to choose from a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates, click here.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the usual coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as rolling your car, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance can cover damage that occurs to people or other property. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values 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 $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability insurance covers claims such as court costs, pain and suffering, funeral expenses and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible.
Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for immediate expenses for ambulance fees, doctor visits and surgery. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive protection – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from getting keyed, vandalism, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The maximum payout a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Porsche Panamera.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
When searching for , don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where an insured cut full coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
More affordable auto insurance can be sourced online in addition to many insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies work with local independent agencies.