Pretty sure you bought high-priced car insurance? Trust us, you’re not the only one.
Companies like State Farm and Geico promote their brand names with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to see through the deception and find the best price available.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Finding affordable coverage is quite easy. Nevertheless, consumers must comprehend the way companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.
Comparing car insurance rates is a ton of work if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend your afternoon talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Many popular insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to submit one quote, and each participating company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you don’t know exactly which providers you will receive quotes from. So if you want to select specific providers to compare, we have a page of car insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but try to use identical coverages and limits for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have different data it’s not possible to truly determine the lowest rate. Quoting even small variations in limits could mean much higher rates. It’s important to know that comparing a wide range of rates increases the change that you will find a better price.
Well-known insurance companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you get a free insurance quote and switch to them. How is it plausible that every one can cost less than your current company? Here is the trick they use.
Insurance providers have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that earns them the most money. For instance, this type of insured may be between the ages of 30 and 45, has never had a policy lapse, and has a short commute. A driver that matches those criteria will probably get the lowest premium rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential insureds who do not match these standards will see a higher premium and this results in the customer not purchasing. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much. That’s why companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote. Because every company is different, it is so important to get as many free insurance quotes as possible. It’s just not possible to know which insurance companies will have the best premium rates.
Many things are used when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving history, but some are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.
Listed below are a few of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
Not too many consumers would say insurance coverage is affordable, but you may find discounts that may help make it more affordable. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be inquired about before you get the savings.
One last thing about discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
To choose providers that offer discounts, click here to view.
When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions might help in determining if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.
Collision protection
This will pay to fix damage to your GS 400 caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Auto liability insurance
Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. It does not 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. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as bail bonds, attorney fees, loss of income, court costs and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
UM/UIM Coverage
This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Lexus GS 400.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Medical costs insurance
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses like rehabilitation expenses, pain medications and dental work. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as rock chips in glass, hail damage, damage from getting keyed, hitting a bird and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Cheaper 1999 Lexus GS 400 insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don’t offer rates over the internet and most of the time these regional carriers sell through local independent agencies.
When searching for low cost insurance quotes, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured cut liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional information can be found on the following sites:
Celsa Atkinson
Quoted with Esurance for my 1999 Lexus GS 400 and cut my rates about $100 a year. Was with Sentry. Switched homeowners coverage too. I used their online quote form to compare rates.
Jeremy Hickman
Located in Fort Wayne, IN. Quoted with Allstate, Amica, and some I forget for my Lexus and saved around $80 a year. Even increased my liability limits. Next renewal I’ll just do liability.
Sidney Henry
Will Progressive cancel my policy for a liability claim?
Pearly Burks
Cheap is relative. I’m just south of Spokane, WA. Compared rates from a lot of places. Saved roughly $20 a month. Progressive was the best choice for me. I think they have home insurance too. :) Anyone else drop full coverage?
Dalia Oneal
It all costs too much. I live on the east side of Concord, New Hampshire. Checked online prices for a 1999 Lexus GS 400. Ended up at about $90 savings annually. Went with 21st Century. Was with Auto-Owners. I recommend comparing lots of rates.
Nichelle Beard
If you’re a decent driver and are close to Oklahoma City, OK, check out State Farm. You might get cheaper rates. I think they have home insurance too. :P Not worth enough to pay for comprehensive and collision.
Haley Tran
I’m looking for cheaper coverage. Live in the northern part of Grand Rapids, MI. I got free quotes from Auto-Owners, Nationwide, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my GS 400 and saved $101 a year. Left Sentry to switch.
Dawn Johnston
I’m in Cedar Rapids, IA and need high risk coverage. Help!
Allyn Keller
Well-written and thought out article. I live just to the west of Missoula, MT. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Insured with Esurance before. I increased coverages a little too. LOL
Ardell Velez
Does State Farm have good customer service?
Wes Hood
I’ve had State Farm for years. I’m in North Charleston, SC.
Wesley Caldwell
If you have a good history and live around Springfield, Missouri, check out GEICO. They seem to be cheaper. I don’t put full coverage on it.
Rosalie Briggs
Are State Farm or State Farm rates cheaper in Massachusetts?
Lindsy Rivas
If you’re around Aberdeen, South Dakota try Allstate and Progressive and see which is cheaper.
Tesha Nolan
Enjoyed the article. I’m in the east part of New Orleans, LA. I quoted with Progressive, Eastwood, and Liberty Mutual for my 1999 Lexus GS 400 and I’m now saving $12 a month. They were helpful in switching over. My GS 400 doesn’t have full coverage.