Tired of trying to scrape together enough money to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners. Big companies like Geico, Progressive and Allstate continually bombard you with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the propoganda and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
It’s a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates on a regular basis since insurance rates tend to go up over time. Even if you think you had the best rates on Neon insurance a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the internet, so with this article, you’re going to get some tested techniques to reduce your car insurance bill.
If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you is not rocket science. Consumers just need to learn the most effective way to compare company rates online.
Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the more common and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, insurance coverage companies aren’t that generous.
For a list of insurance companies offering insurance coverage discounts, click here.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better auto insurance rates.
The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into your rates.
When buying coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverage types available from insurance companies.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Neon caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for things such as scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like rock chips in glass, damage from flooding, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Coverage for liability – This coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for things like court costs, bail bonds, repair costs for stationary objects, legal defense fees and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Insurance for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses like prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses and pain medications. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Cheap 1996 Dodge Neon insurance can be found from both online companies as well as from independent agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced full coverage only to find out that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
You just read a lot of ways to compare insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.