Lower Your 2004 Saab 9-5 Insurance Cost

Are you tired of paying out the nose to insure your Saab every month? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners.

Numerous car insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute lowest rate possible.

You need to compare prices yearly because rates fluctuate regularly. Even if you got the best rates for 9-5 coverage six months ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because you’re about to learn one of the quickest ways to get good coverage at a lower rate.

If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Finding the best rates is not that difficult. Nevertheless, drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the way insurance companies sell online.

Discounts on 2004 Saab 9-5 insurance

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but some must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.

  • Early Switch Discount – Select companies give a discount for switching policies before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
  • One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your premiums.

For a list of insurers offering insurance discounts, click here.

Saab 9-5 rates are in the details

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance coverage. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with lower insurance coverage prices.

  • Add-on coverages can add up – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying insurance coverage. Things like rental car reimbursement, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These coverages may sound good initially, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
  • Lower rates come with age – Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers are known to get distracted easily in a vehicle therefore insurance coverage rates are much higher.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping car theft.
  • High numbers of claims are not good – Car insurance companies generally give discounts to policyholders who are claim-free. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
  • Your credit rating is important – Your credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit. If your credit is low, you could be paying less to insure your 2004 Saab 9-5 by repairing your credit.
  • Battle of the sexes – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes cause accidents at a similar rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a guaranteed way to increase your insurance coverage rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

  • Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
  • Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
  • Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
  • Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
  • Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
  • Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
  • Where can I find high-risk insurance?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
  • Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Educate yourself about insurance coverages

Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Saab 9-5.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Collision insurance

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, driving through your garage door and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Auto liability insurance

Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers claims like court costs, loss of income and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses like chiropractic care, doctor visits, hospital visits, X-ray expenses and dental work. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, vandalism, theft and a broken windshield. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Feed the piggy bank

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can shop for 2004 Saab 9-5 insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.

When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.

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