Lower Your 1996 Dodge Stratus Car Insurance Cost

Trying to find lower auto insurance rates for your Dodge Stratus? When shopping for lower-priced insurance, do you get overwhelmed by the sheer number of auto insurance sources that you can choose from? People have so many options that it can turn into a ton of work to find lower rates.

How much is auto insurance?

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from many available auto insurance companies in your state. The easiest way to comparison shop consists of shopping online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

1. Experts agree that the best way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate forms for each company you want a rate for. A single form gets you price quotes instantly.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
2. Another way to analyze rates is going to each individual company website and repeat the quote process. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Farmers, Allstate and State Farm. In order to get each rate, you would have to visit each site and punch in your information repeatedly, which is not fast way to get rate quotes. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just be certain you are entering equivalent coverages with each company. If the quotes have unequal deductibles or liability limits you can’t possibly determine the best price for your Dodge Stratus. Just slight variations in insurance coverages or limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, comparing more rates from different companies will improve the odds of getting a better price.

Verify you’re receiving every discount

Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might be missing out on some discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but occassionally some discounts must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.

• Discount for New Cars – Buying insurance on a new vehicle may earn a small discount since new vehicles are generally safer.
• Include Life Insurance and Save – Larger insurance companies have a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
• Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike with the catch being you have to be claim-free prior to the accident.
• Mature Driver Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you could receive a small decrease in premiums for Stratus coverage.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having an actively deployed family member could be rewarded with lower rates.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may have a lower total premium amount.
• Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks with the same car insurance company qualifies for this discount.

As a sidenote, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, that’s just not realistic. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

Large car insurance companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.

• Geico may include discounts for military active duty, membership and employees, emergency military deployment, defensive driver, and good student.
• Mercury Insurance offers discounts for anti-theft, good student, type of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, accident-free, professional/association, and good driver.
• Farmers Insurance has savings for multi-car, teen driver, business and professional, electronic funds transfer, distant student, bundle discounts, and switch companies.
• Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for student away at school, safe driver, paid in full, multiple vehicles, paperless, multi-policy, and company car.
• Liberty Mutual includes discounts for good student, newly retired, safety features, preferred payment discount, new vehicle discount, exclusive group savings, and hybrid vehicle.
• SAFECO has discounts for teen safety rewards, drive less, safe driver, bundle discounts, anti-theft, homeowner, and accident prevention training.
• Progressive offers discounts including online signing, good student, online quote discount, multi-policy, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
• USAA policyholders can earn discounts including new vehicle, multi-policy, driver training, family discount, good student, and safe driver.

When getting free auto insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in your area. If you would like to view insurers who offer online car insurance quotes, follow this link.

Decisions you make can impact your insurance costs

Lots of things are considered when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving record, but other factors are less obvious such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could help you find big savings.

The factors shown below are most of the major factors that factor into your rate level.

• Your location is a factor – Being located in areas with lower population can save you money when shopping for auto insurance. City drivers have more traffic problems and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers and short commutes corresponds to lower accident rates and a lower car theft rate.
• Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – Being a careful driver has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Having just one moving violation can increase the cost of insurance to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with license-revoking tickets such as reckless driving or DUI might be required by their state to prove financial responsibility with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.
• Insure your auto and home with one company – The majority of companies apply discounts to insureds that have more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The discount can add up to 10 percent or more. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s always a smart idea to get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to save money by splitting coverages up.
• Coverage lapses lead to higher auto insurance rates – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse for non-payment. And not only will insurance be more expensive, not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
• Can a thief steal your car? – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft deterrent systems such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms can help prevent car theft.
• Safer vehicles lower prices – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates directly to fewer claims passed on to you as lower rates.
• Premiums are affected by your credit history – Having a bad credit score factor in determining what you pay. Therefore, if your credit leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your 1996 Dodge Stratus by repairing your credit. People with very high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure than drivers who have lower ratings.

When should I discuss my situation with an agent?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions might help in determining whether or not you might need professional guidance.

• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• Is my state a no-fault state?
• Should I buy additional glass protection?
• Am I covered if hit by an uninsured driver?
• Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?

If it’s difficult to answer those 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, simply complete this short form.

Insurance coverage myths debunked

Popular insurance coverage providers such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the ads tend to make the same promise about savings if you switch to them. But how can every company save you money? Just pay attention to how they say it.

Many companies have specific guidelines for the type of driver that will most likely be profitable. A good example of a profitable customer may need to be over the age of 35, owns their home, and has a short commute. A driver that meets those criteria will qualify for the lowest prices and will most likely cut their rates if they switch.

Insureds who fall short of this stringent profile may be required to pay higher rates which results in business going elsewhere. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save money. That’s the way companies can truthfully claim big savings.

This illustrates why drivers must compare price quotes frequently. Because you cannot predict which insurance companies will give you lower premium rates than your current company.

Learn about insurance coverages for a 1996 Dodge Stratus

Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Liability coverage

Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers things like medical expenses, loss of income, legal defense fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and damage to your Dodge Stratus.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Most of the time these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive insurance

This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding, hail damage and falling objects. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance covers damage to your Stratus from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things like crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for dental work, prosthetic devices, pain medications, nursing services and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Be a Smart Shopper

Drivers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as policy non-renewal, questionable increases in premium, high rates after DUI convictions or even policy cancellation. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company is actually quite simple.

As you quote auto insurance, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Some insurance companies do not provide rates over the internet and many times these smaller companies prefer to sell through independent agencies. Low-cost 1996 Dodge Stratus insurance is possible from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money.

Additional information is available at these links:

• Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
• Five Mistakes to Avoid (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)