1996 GMC Sierra 1500 Car Insurance Quotes – 5 Tips for Best Rates

Searching for the cheapest insurance for a GMC Sierra 1500 could be a painful process, but you can follow a few tricks to save time. There is a right way and a wrong way to buy insurance so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to price shop coverage for a new or used GMC and get the lowest price.

Consumers need to do price comparisons before your policy renews due to the fact that insurance prices change frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal for Sierra insurance a few years ago you can probably find a better rate quote now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding insurance on the internet, but in just a couple of minutes you can learn a lot of great tips on how to lower your insurance rates.

Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Drivers just need to understand the most efficient way to compare prices over the internet.

How to buy insurance

Finding a lower price on 1996 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance is actually quite simple. All that’s required is to take a couple of minutes comparing rates from some recommended companies. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

1. If you don’t have a lot of time, the easiest way to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for every company. One form gets you price quotes from all major companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
2. Another way to get quotes online requires a visit to each company website to complete a price quote. For example, let’s say you want to compare prices for Auto-Owners, Allstate and GMAC. You would have to visit each site to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which can be really labor intensive.

   For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

Whichever way you choose to compare rates, double check that you are using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you compare different coverage information you will not be able to determine the lowest rate for your GMC Sierra 1500.

Insurance coverage companies offer lots of discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you may qualify for discounts that you may not even be aware of. Many discounts should be triggered when you complete an application, but a few must be inquired about in order for you to get them.

• Policy Bundle Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company they may give you a discount of up to 20% and get you cheaper insurance.
• Good Grades Discount – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
• Telematics Discount – People who choose to allow their insurance coverage company to monitor vehicle usage by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better prices.
• Early Signing – Select larger companies give a discount for buying a new policy prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.

A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To see companies who offer discounts, click this link.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?
• Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
• Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
• Does my 1996 GMC Sierra 1500 need full coverage?
• If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• What if I total my 1996 GMC Sierra 1500 and owe more than it’s worth?
• Can I still get insurance after a DUI?

If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

The coverage is in the details

Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your GMC Sierra 1500.

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. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage will cover damage that occurs to a person or their property by causing an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for things like court costs, pain and suffering, medical services, structural damage and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage protection

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against things like damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a building, sideswiping another vehicle and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive auto coverage

This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass, fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and theft. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses, doctor visits and chiropractic care. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

In conclusion

When shopping online for insurance coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where someone dropped physical damage coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.

Insureds leave their current company for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, being labeled a high risk driver, not issuing a premium refund and questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching insurance coverage companies is not as difficult as it may seem.

Cheaper 1996 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance coverage companies don’t offer price quotes online and these small insurance companies only sell through independent agents.

Even more information can be found by following these links:

• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)