Tired of scraping the payment together to pay your car insurance bill each month? You are no different than many other drivers. Having so many choices of insurance companies, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the best car insurance company.
It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes periodically since insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the lowest rates for Corolla insurance last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Starting now, ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because I’m going to teach you how to use online quotes to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
The purpose of this post is to tell you how to get online quotes and some tricks to saving. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Drivers only need an understanding of the proper methods to compare price quotes on the web.
All major car insurance companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm give price estimates online. This process is pretty easy as you just enter your personal and coverage information into a form. When complete, their system automatically retrieves your driving and credit reports and gives you a price quote determined by many factors. Online price quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it is imperative to have as many quotes as possible if you are searching for better prices.
An easier way to compare car insurance pricing utilizes a single form to obtain quotes from many companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes comparison shopping much easier. As soon as the form is sent, it is quoted and you are able to buy any of the returned quotes.
If the quotes result in lower rates, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. This process can be completed in a matter of minutes and can result in significant savings.
If you want to find out how much you can save on car insurance, click here and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you type in coverages and limits identical to your current policy. This ensures you will be getting rate comparison quotes based on similar coverages.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting prices.
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, buy you may qualify for discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be asked about before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.
For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts, click here.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.
Understanding the coverages of insurance can be of help when determining appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages offered by insurance companies.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, colliding with a tree and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like a broken windshield, vandalism, falling objects, hail damage and theft. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability insurance – This can cover damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability insurance covers things like bail bonds, medical expenses, medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries 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. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills like ambulance fees, chiropractic care and nursing services. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Budget-conscious 1999 Toyota Corolla insurance is available from both online companies as well as from independent agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
We just showed you a lot of tips how to lower your insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
More tips and info about insurance coverage can be read by following these links: