Have you fallen victim to an underperforming, overpriced insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you’re not the only one. Big companies like Allstate, Progressive and Geico continually bombard you with fancy advertisements and it is difficult to see past the corporate glitz and find the best price available.
If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these tips to shop for the lowest rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. Drivers just need to understand the proper methods to compare company rates online.
Finding lower insurance rates doesn’t have to be difficult. The only requirement is to take time getting comparison quotes provided by online insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
Whichever way you use, make sure you use apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If your comparisons have differing limits it will be impossible to decipher which rate is best.
Companies that sell car insurance don’t list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.
As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
Car insurance companies that may offer some of the above discounts include:
Double check with every prospective company what discounts are available to you. Some discounts may not be available everywhere.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions might point out whether you may require specific advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine prices.
Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your 1991 Mercury Tracer.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Liability coverages
Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.
Liability can pay for things like medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, attorney fees and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive coverages
This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding, vandalism and theft. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance covers damage to your Tracer resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers claims such as damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for medical payments
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as chiropractic care, surgery and rehabilitation expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
As you prepare to switch companies, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
Lower-priced 1991 Mercury Tracer insurance can be found online in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.