1998 Buick Skylark Car Insurance Cost – 9 Policy Discounts

Searching for the cheapest car insurance rates for your Buick Skylark? Are you tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers.

Drivers have so many insurers to pick from, and even though it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to find a good deal.

Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes yearly because prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the best rates on Skylark coverage two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. There is lot of inaccurate information about car insurance online, but in this article, you’re going to get some solid techniques on how to lower your car insurance rates.

The purpose of this article is to tell you how car insurance quotes work and some tips to save money. If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to save some money using these tips. But consumers must learn the way companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

Auto insurance policy discounts you can’t miss

Auto insurance companies don’t always list all possible discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find a few of the more common as well as some of the hidden savings tricks you should be using when you buy auto insurance online.

• Homeowners Savings – Owning a house may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
• Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles may allow you to get substantially lower prices.
• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for primary and secondary vehicles with the same auto insurance company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give a lower premium rate if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Good Grades Discount – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy may earn a small discount because newer vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems could see savings of 25 to 30%.
• Early Signing – Some larger companies give discounts for switching companies early. You may see this discount when you get auto insurance quotes online.

Discounts lower rates, but most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

If you would like to view companies that offer many of these discounts, follow this link.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

• How do I buy GAP insurance?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• Is my 1998 Buick Skylark covered for flood damage?
• Will filing a claim cost me more?
• Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• Am I covered when driving a rental car?
• What happens if I owe more than my 1998 Buick Skylark is worth?
• Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Does auto insurance advertising bend the truth?

Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make an identical promise that drivers will save a bundle if you change to their company. How does each company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.

Companies give the best rates for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, this type of insured should be a female over age 40, has no claims, and insures a new vehicle. A customer getting a price quote who matches that profile may get the lowest car insurance rates and most likely will save some money.

Insureds who fall outside those criteria will probably be forced to pay higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. That’s the way companies can make the claims of big savings.

This really emphasizes why you really need to compare many company’s prices. Because without a comparison, you cannot know with any certainty which company will fit your personal profile best.

Coverages available on your policy

Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages available from insurance companies.

Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims such as rolling your car, driving through your garage door and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Comprehensive protection – This coverage pays for 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 coverage pays for things such as vandalism, rock chips in glass, theft and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Liability coverages – This will cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers things such as bail bonds, pain and suffering, structural damage and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses such as funeral costs, nursing services, X-ray expenses and pain medications. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your 1998 Buick Skylark.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.

Low-cost 1998 Buick Skylark insurance is available online in addition to many insurance agents, so you need to quote auto insurance with both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not offer rate quotes online and usually these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent agencies.

Helpful resources

• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Insitute)
• What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
• Information for Teen Drivers (Geico)
• Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)