No one looks forward to buying auto insurance, especially when they are paying too much.
Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Geico and Allstate promote their brand names with advertising and it is difficult to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Buying car insurance is not rocket science. But car owners do need to understand how big insurance companies market insurance on the web.
Companies don’t always list all their discounts very clearly, so we break down both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way.
Insurance companies who might offer some of the above discounts include:
Check with each company which discounts they offer. Savings may not be available everywhere.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might point out whether or not you will benefit from professional help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Car insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save if you move to their company. How do they all claim to save you money?
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Drivers who do not match these standards must pay more money and this can result in business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest Subaru Impreza insurance rates.
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like falling objects, damage from getting keyed, hitting a deer and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Liability
Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not 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 limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects, court costs and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Medical expense coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like chiropractic care, dental work, prosthetic devices and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Impreza resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
We just covered some good ideas how you can save on 2012 Subaru Impreza insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
For more information, link through to the articles below: