Being forced to pay for overpriced insurance premiums can dry up your accounts and force you to make sacrifices. You have multiple car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
The most recommended method to compare car insurance company rates is to realize most of the larger companies participate in online systems to provide you with a free rate quote. To get started, all you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information including if you’re married, deductibles desired, whether you drive to work or school, and whether or not you need a SR-22. Those rating factors is instantly provided to multiple companies and they return quotes instantly to find the best rate.
Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious like an MVR report, but other factors are more transparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is.
The list below includes just a few of the factors used by insurance companies to determine your premiums.
Some providers do not advertise every disount available in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.
Larger auto insurance companies and their possible discounts are detailed below.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in your area. To see providers who offer free auto insurance quotes, follow this link.
When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions could help you determine if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the normal coverages offered by insurance companies.
Collision coverages – Collision coverage covers damage to your Suburban caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims such as hitting a parking meter, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Liability coverage – This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use a combined limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for things such as attorney fees, medical services, emergency aid, structural damage and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hail damage, vandalism and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your GMC Suburban.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Normally these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for expenses like surgery, hospital visits, X-ray expenses, chiropractic care and prosthetic devices. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Lower-priced 1998 GMC Suburban insurance can be found both online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies do not offer the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional carriers sell through local independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced collision coverage to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
To read more, feel free to visit the following helpful articles:
Sena Mack
Here’s what I found out. Lifelong resident of Overland Park, Kansas. Don’t remember every company but I ended up saving about $30 each month. Even increased my liability limits. I got prices on the web. Just liability coverage since it’s getting old.
Parthenia Maldonado
If you have a clean record and live around Evansville, Indiana, check out GEICO. You might save some money. It never hurts to quote around.
Holli Dyer
I’ve insured with GEICO for a long time. Pretty cheap in Lewiston, Maine.
Sharie Berger
Does State Farm insure after a DUI?
Charles Marquez
Why are claims settled so low?
Vickey Gallegos
All companies are crooks. I live in South Burlington, VT. Compared quite a few companies. Saved right around $20 a month. Progressive was the cheapest option for me. Thankfully I have a good driving record. Book value doesn’t justify full coverage anymore.
Roxanne Ferrell
I’m in Spokane, WA, and GEICO rates were affordable.
Amelia Jensen
I found pretty cheap rate quotes for a 1998 GMC Suburban in Providence, Rhode Island. Ended up at darn near $100 every six months with American Family. I’m thinking about dropping full coverage though.
Marcel Shields
Lifelong resident of Portland, OR. Quoted a bunch of companies. Saved right around $20 a month. GEICO was the most affordable for me. Was with Western Auto Insurance. It’s easy to compare rates online now. My GMC doesn’t have full coverage.
Ha Dickson
Good site, thanks. I live on the west side of Saint Louis, MO. Got quotes with Safeco, Erie, GEICO, and AAA for my GMC and I’m now saving $17 a month. I get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles. When should I drop full coverage?
Albertha Peterson
I live just to the west of Augusta, Georgia. Received prices from GEICO, Encompass, and The General for my GMC and saved $112 a year. Ask about discounts. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or not. Anyone else drop full coverage?
Carlee Villarreal
Can I get replacement cost coverage for a 1998 GMC Suburban?
Katheleen Smith
Anyone understand their policy?
Lesli Wilson
Do I have to have car insurance in New Jersey?