Sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers.
Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to avoid their marketing magic and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to save some money using these techniques. Buying car insurance is quite easy. But drivers must understand how companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.
When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. The quickest method to find the cheapest 1997 Ford Ranger insurance rates is to get quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make darn sure you compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If you use higher or lower deductibles then you won’t be able to make a fair comparison for your Ford Ranger. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in a large different in cost. It’s important to know that quoting more will improve the odds of getting better pricing.
State Farm and Allstate continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings after switching to their company. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a preferred risk might be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who fall outside the requirements must pay higher prices which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can advertise the savings.
This illustrates why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest Ford Ranger insurance rates.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in lower insurance prices.
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but a few must be asked about before they will apply.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.
To see a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates, click here to view.
When choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions could help you determine if you may require specific advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk 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.
Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages found on most insurance policies.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Insurance for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like chiropractic care, X-ray expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision coverage covers damage to your Ranger caused by collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a building and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
This pays to fix your vehicle from 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 protects against claims like hitting a bird, damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hail damage and damage from flooding. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Liability coverages
This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. It protects you from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims like repair costs for stationary objects, medical services and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to get a better price on 1997 Ford Ranger insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small local company. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Affordable insurance can be purchased on the web and with local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
When buying insurance coverage, never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
Additional insurance coverage information is available at these links: