1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Car Insurance Cost

Nobody looks forward to paying premiums for car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much. You have multiple insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have a choice, so many choices can make it hard to find a good deal.

This article will tell you how to get online quotes. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Drivers just need to understand the proper methods to shop for auto insurance online.

How to shop insurance coverage online

There are a variety of methods to shop for insurance coverage, but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can spend your afternoon driving to agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Most of the best insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each participating company can give them a price for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company.

To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to getting quotes like this is that consumers can’t choose which companies you want pricing from. If you wish to select individual companies to compare, we have a page of the cheapest insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

Compare rates however you want, just double check that you are using equivalent quote data on every quote you get. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be nearly impossible to make an equal comparison.

Pay discount rates these discounts

Car insurance is expensive, but you might already qualify for some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before they will apply. If you do not double check each discount you qualify for, you are just wasting money.

• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Driver’s Ed – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
• Good Student Discount – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount well after school through age 25.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you could earn a discount of as much as 10 to 15 percent.
• Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags can get savings of 25 to 30%.
• Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can save as much as half off their rates for Ram pickup insurance than drivers with accidents.
• Distant Student – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and leave their car at home can receive lower rates.
• Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give better prices if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a safe driver class could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
• Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.

Discounts save money, but please remember that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.

A few companies that may include some of the discounts shown above may include but are not limited to:

• 21st Century
• Progressive
• State Farm
• Nationwide
• Esurance
• The Hartford

If you need lower rates, check with every company how many discounts you can get. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in your area. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies that offer discounts, click here to view.

Eight factors that influence insurance premiums

The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you lower premium levels.

• Vehicle options can affect auto insurance rates – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all help stop your vehicle from being stolen.
• Tickets hurt – Being a careful driver has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even one driving citation can boost insurance rates by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers with flagrant citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to maintain a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Where you live factors in – Residing in a rural area is a good thing when talking about auto insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accident claims and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers have more road rage incidents and longer commute times. More time behind the wheel means more chance of being in an accident.
• Vehicles with better crash test results means better prices – Cars with high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
• If you don’t need it don’t buy it – Insurance companies have many optional add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accidental death, and membership fees may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when discussing your needs, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
• Men pay more for auto insurance – Statistics demonstrate that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men are in auto accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
• Annual mileage impacts rates – The higher the mileage driven every year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Many insurance companies calculate rates based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use receive better premium rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance coverage correctly shows annual mileage, because it can save money. Improper usage on your Ram Pickup 1500 can result in significantly higher rates.
• Qualify for multi-policy discounts – Lots of insurers give a discount to policyholders that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you already get this discount, it’s always a smart idea to compare other insurance prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Special considerations

When choosing coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you could use an agent’s help.

• What is the ISO rating for a 1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500?
• Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
• Why do I need rental car insurance?
• Should I buy full coverage?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
• Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
• Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Insurance coverage ads bend the truth

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads that claim the cheapest rates by Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings if you switch your policy.

How does every company lower your rates? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, this type of insured might be a married male, carries high limits, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any customer that meets those criteria will get very good car insurance rates and will most likely save a lot if they switch.

Consumers who cannot meet the ideal profile may be required to pay higher prices which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can make claims that they all have the best prices.

This really emphasizes why it is so important to compare free auto insurance quotes often. It’s just not possible to know which insurance coverage company will have the lowest rate quotes.

Coverage specifics

Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverage types offered by auto insurance companies.

Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Ram Pickup 1500 resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for things like funeral costs, pain medications and ambulance fees. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability – Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for things such as funeral expenses, emergency aid, attorney fees and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Dodge Ram Pickup 1500.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix 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 coverage protects against claims such as hitting a deer, a broken windshield and hitting a bird. The maximum payout a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Shop around and save

There are still a few companies who may not offer online rate quotes small, regional companies work with local independent agencies. Affordable 1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 insurance can be bought from both online companies and from local agencies, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money.

You just learned a lot of ways to compare 1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best prices are with a small local company. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

Much more information about insurance coverage can be read at these links:

• Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Insitute)
• A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)
• Five Tips to Save on Auto Insurance (Insurance Information Insitute)
• What is Covered by GAP Insurance? (Allstate)
• Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)