Cheaper 1998 Ford F-250 Car Insurance Cost

Drivers have a choice when trying to find affordable Ford F-250 insurance. They can either spend hours contacting agents to get rate comparisons or use the internet to get rate quotes.

There are both good and bad ways to buy car insurance and you need to know the quickest way to quote coverages for a Ford and find the lowest price either online or from local insurance agents.

Verify you’re applying every discount

Some insurers don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and also the lesser-known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy car insurance online. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Claim-Free Discount – Insureds with no claims or accidents pay less compared to drivers with a long claim history.
• Savings for New Vehicles – Buying car insurance coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
• E-sign Discounts
• Memberships – Having an affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a simple method to lower premiums on car insurance.
• College Student Discount – Any of your kids living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
• No Charge for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident without the usual rate increase if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
• Senior Citizen Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you could receive reduced rates for F-250 insurance.
• Own a Home – Simply owning a home can get you a discount since home ownership is proof that your finances are in order.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Ford can qualify you for substantially lower premium rates.

A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.

To see a list of car insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here to view.

How to lower your insurance coverage cost

Finding more affordable insurance coverage rates is an easy way to save money. Consumers just need to take time getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. Shoppers can get rates in a couple of different ways.

• Experts agree that the best way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for every insurance coverage company. A single form will get you rate comparisons from multiple companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
• A less efficient way to analyze rates requires a trip to the website for each individual company and repeat the quote process. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from USAA, Liberty Mutual and Geico. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to every website and repeatedly enter your information, which can get rather old. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
• The last method to find and compare rates is driving around to different agent offices. The ability to get quotes online has made agencies unnecessary unless you have a complicated situation and need the peace of mind that you can only get from talking to an agent. Although, it is possible price shop your coverage online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

How you compare quotes is your choice, just ensure you are comparing the same coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If the quotes have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to determine the best price for your Ford F-250.

Get Ford F-250 insurance for less

When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating your premiums. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that can earn you cheaper rates. Many factors are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like your driving record, although some other factors are less obvious like where you live or your vehicle rating.

The itemized list below are some of the most common factors companies use to determine your rates.

• Add-on coverages are wasting money – Insurance policies have a lot of extra add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your 1998 F-250 policy. Coverages like roadside assistance, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Keep insurance claims to a minimum – If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance companies give the lowest premiums to drivers who only file infrequent claims. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
• A lauto insurance policy lapse is a bad thing – Driving with no insurance is a big no-no and companies may charge more for letting your insurance lapse for non-payment. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage could result in a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
• Pay less after the wedding – Being married can actually save you money compared to being single. Marriage may mean you are more stable financially and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Women tend to cost less – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes are in auto accidents in similar numbers, but males get into accidents with more damage. Men also receive more major tickets like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Males from age 16 to 21 generally have the highest accident percentage and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
• Car plus home equals more savings – Most companies afford better rates to policyholders that purchase more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, drivers will still want to compare other insurance prices to help guarantee you have the best rates.There is a good possibility that you can find better rates even if you have your coverage with different companies
• Do safer cars cost less to insure? – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates. If your Ford has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may be receiving a better rate.
• Lower rates with GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Selecting a car model with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.

When should I discuss my situation with an agent?

When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique.

For example, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation may require specific advice.

• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
• Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
• Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
• When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
• Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that claim the best premium rates from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the ads convey the message about savings if you change your insurance policy to them.

How does every company have lower policy pricing? It’s all in the wording.

Most companies have underwriting criteria for the driver they prefer to insure. For example, a profitable customer could be over the age of 35, has a low-risk occupation, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who fits those characteristics will most likely get cheap premium rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot if they switch.

Insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile will get a higher premium and this results in the customer buying from a different company. The wording the ads use say “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how insurance companies can claim big savings.

This really illustrates why it is so important to compare rate quotes every year. It is just not possible to predict which insurance companies will be your best fit.

Coverages available on your policy

Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills for pain medications, ambulance fees and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Normally these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Liability coverage – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as structural damage, court costs and pain and suffering. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive insurance – This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hitting a deer, a broken windshield, fire damage, falling objects and damage from flooding. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your F-250 from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle, damaging your car on a curb and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Affordable insurance is out there

We just showed you many ways to get a better price on 1998 Ford F-250 insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the best premium rates are with a small mutual company.

When getting car insurance quotes online, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.

People switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim and even high prices. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

Helpful information

• Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
• Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
• Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
• Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
• When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
• Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)