Sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as millions of other consumers.
Many insurers vie to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies to discover the definitive lowest price
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.
Performing a rate comparison can be a daunting task if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You could waste a few hours discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting to maximize your effort.
Many of the larger companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers send in one quote, and at least one company then returns a price quote. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company. To compare 2004 Volvo S60 rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you don’t know exactly the companies you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of companies who write insurance in your area. Click to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but compare exactly the same quote information for each price quote. If you use mixed coverages you will not be able to decipher which rate is best. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.
Car insurance providers like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise of big savings if you move your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile must pay higher premiums which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings on Volvo S60 insurance.
Auto insurance companies don’t list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
For a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, follow this link.
When choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find the usual coverages offered by insurance companies.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage covers damage to your S60 from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like rock chips in glass, falling objects and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Volvo S60.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for nursing services, rehabilitation expenses, pain medications, hospital visits and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all 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
Liability coverage
This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against claims like legal defense fees, loss of income, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Low-cost 2004 Volvo S60 insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can lower your insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.