Having to pay for expensive insurance can bleed your savings and make it tough to pay other bills.
Multiple insurance companies compete for your insurance dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute best rates possible.
Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes quite often because prices change regularly. Just because you had the best rates for Sienna coverage a couple years back a different company probably has better premium rates today. There is a lot of wrong information about insurance online but I’m going to show you a bunch of ideas how to lower your insurance premiums.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Buying car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. But consumers benefit from understanding how big insurance companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.
Comparing car insurance rates is a ton of work if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use the web to get pricing more quickly.
Many insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each company can give them a price based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions for each company.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The one downside to getting quotes like this is you cannot specify which companies you want to price. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but be sure you’re using exactly the same coverages and limits on every price quote you get. If you use mixed coverages it will be impossible to make an equal comparison. Even a minor difference in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more quotes helps increase your odds of locating better pricing.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you might find some hidden discounts to help offset the cost. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.
A quick disclaimer, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. If you do the math and it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To locate insurers that offer discounts, click this link.
The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that help calculate your policy premiums. When you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that will entitle you to cheaper rates.
When it comes to buying coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions could help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Auto liability insurance
Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for claims like medical expenses, emergency aid, attorney fees, bail bonds and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive coverages
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as fire damage, damage from getting keyed and theft. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for expenses for hospital visits, dental work, ambulance fees and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Toyota Sienna.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Collision coverage protection
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things like crashing into a building, backing into a parked car and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Cheap 1998 Toyota Sienna insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local insurance agents, so get free insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not offer internet price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell through local independent agencies.
You just read a lot of tips how to reduce 1998 Toyota Sienna insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with the least-expected company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or Geico.
More information is located at these links:
Kathline Hood
I’m in the suburbs of Newark, Delaware. I got free quotes from American Family, Nationwide, and a few others for my Toyota and I think I cut my rates about $30 each month. It never hurts to quote around. Only insure liability on my Sienna.
Leandra Galloway
If you’re a decent driver and live near Cincinnati, OH, check out Allstate. I saved quite a bit. I have a teen driver too.
Carolee Becker
I found pretty cheap rate quotes for a 1998 Toyota Sienna in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ended up at about $90 every six months with AIG Insurance. It’s too old for full coverage.
Lorita Rowe
Got a quote with American Family for my Sienna and cut my rates about $100 a year.
Mackenzie Sykes
Went with Esurance for my 1998 Toyota Sienna and saved about $100 a year.
Lauri Bowman
Cheap is not always the best policy. Found cheapest coverage with Esurance for my 1998 Toyota Sienna and saved around $90 a year. It’s still not cheap enough.
Jon Bryant
Checking in from San Antonio, TX. I quoted with Sentry, Eastwood, GEICO, and Auto-Owners for my 1998 Toyota Sienna and I think I cut my rates about $20 each month.
Chin Acevedo
Where can I find cheaper car insurance in Charleston, SC?
Isabelle Drake
I’m from Parkersburg, WV. Quoted with 21st Century, GMAC, and Erie for my Sienna and saved $83 a year. Was with Liberty Mutual.
Aundrea Curry
Why are claims settled so low?
Bert May
I was with The General last year but switched to GEICO. I’m in the north part of Worcester, Massachusetts. Teenage drivers are expensive! Online quotes are the way to go. I don’t have comp or collision coverage.
Dennis Martinez
Will Allstate be cheaper if I raise deductibles?
Elaina Fernandez
Compared rates with GEICO and AIG Insurance but still pricey.
Ami Fox
My 1998 Toyota Sienna is faster than yours.
Terrance Knox
Enjoyed the article. Checking in from Birmingham, Alabama. I got free quotes with Progressive, Eastwood, and GMAC for my Sienna and saved $64 a year. Was with American Family. I think I’ll get rid of full coverage next time.
Geri Morgan
Hope my rates come down. From northwest of Birmingham, AL. Quoted a bunch of companies. Saved about $20 a month. State Farm was the cheapest for me. I’m a pretty good driver though. Still almost need a second mortgage. Full coverage costs too much.