Wish you could get a refund on an expensive car insurance policy? Don’t sweat it because there are lots of people in the same boat.
Having so many companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to find the most cost effective car insurance company.
It’s a good habit to shop coverage around at least once a year because insurance prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price on Wrangler insurance at your last renewal the chances are good that you can find a lower rate quote today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out the tricks you need to know to get good coverage at a lower rate.
Buying car insurance is quite easy. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to save some money using this strategy. Although car owners benefit from understanding how insurance companies compete online.
Many factors are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but other criteria are not as apparent like where you live or how safe your car is.
The factors shown below are some of the items insurance coverage companies consider when setting your premiums.
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time of purchase, but occassionally some discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
Discounts save money, but please remember that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The best insurance coverage companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
When comparing rates, check with every insurance company what discounts are available to you. Discounts may not be available in your area. If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer discounts, click here to view.
Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to make the point that drivers can save some big amount just by switching your policy. How does every auto insurance company charge you less for car insurance? It’s all in the wording.
Companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that will most likely be profitable. For instance, a desirable insured might be described as a married male, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest car insurance rates and will most likely save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who cannot meet these standards will probably have to pay more expensive rates and this results in business going elsewhere. The wording the ads use say “people that switch” not “all people who quote” can save as much as they claim. That is how insurance companies can confidently make claims like that. Because of these techniques, it’s extremely important to compare many company’s prices. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the lowest premium rates for your situation.
When buying the right insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages available from car insurance companies.
Medical costs insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills like hospital visits, funeral costs, nursing services, doctor visits and dental work. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability – Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for things like attorney fees, court costs and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.
UM/UIM Coverage – This gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Jeep Wrangler.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
Collision – This coverage covers damage to your Wrangler caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, backing into a parked car, hitting a mailbox and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects and vandalism. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate.
You just learned many ways to lower your 1999 Jeep Wrangler insurance premium rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting affordable insurance. You may even find the lowest premium rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
Lauren Oliver
Is Allstate or Encompass cheap in Providence, Rhode Island?
Han Calderon
Does GEICO offer multi-policy discounts?
John Cummings
Does Arizona require me to have car insurance?
Eduardo Sawyer
Good detail in your article. I’m in the south part of Denver, CO. Quoted prices online for a 1999 Jeep Wrangler. Ended up at about $70 savings annually. Went with GEICO. Was with Encompass. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or not. I don’t have comp or collision coverage.
Victor Blair
Cheap is not always the best policy. I’m just north of Birmingham, AL. Checked online prices for a 1999 Jeep Wrangler. Ended up at about $100 savings annually. Went with GEICO. I used their online quote form to compare rates.
Sharilyn Tate
Went with Western Auto Insurance for my Jeep and saved about $120 a year.
Alysha Nielsen
Lots of useful info here. Got a quote with Hanover for my Wrangler and cut my rates about $90 a year. Moved home policy as well. They have free quotes online.