Save on 2001 Ford Windstar Cargo Insurance Quotes

Did you make the mistake of buying an expensive car insurance policy? Don’t sweat it because there are many people just like you. Many insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies to discover the definitive best rate

How to find the cheapest car insurance

Getting a cheaper price on 2001 Ford Windstar Cargo insurance is surprisingly easy. Consumers just need to invest a few minutes comparing rates online from several insurance companies. You can get a good selection of rate quotes by using one of the methods below.

• The single most time-saving way consumers can make multiple comparisons is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This style of form saves time by eliminating separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. One form submission gets insurance cost estimates from car insurance companies with the best prices.
• A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online requires a trip to each company website and repeat the quote process again and again. For example, let’s assume you want rates from Nationwide, Geico and Farmers. In order to get each rate, you would have to take the time to go to each site and type in your information over and over, which is why most consumers use the first method.

  For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.

• The final way to find and compare rates is to drive around to local insurance agencies. The fact that you can get quotes online makes this process obsolete unless your situation requires the extra assistance of a local agency. You can, however, get prices online and have a local agent actually service the policy.

Take whichever approach you prefer, but make darn sure you compare nearly identical deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If you have differing limits you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best.

Drivers save money with with these discounts

Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but some discounts are required to be asked for before being credited.

• College Student – Kids living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
• Discounts for Government Workers – Active or former government employment may qualify for a discount when you quote auto insurance on Windstar Cargo insurance with a few insurance companies.
• Good Student – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give better insurancerates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Data Collection Discounts – People who choose to allow driving data submission to look at vehicle usage by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease if they show good driving skills.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premium rates.
• Memberships – Joining specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could trigger savings on your bill.

Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

A few popular companies and some of the discounts are included below.

• Mercury Insurance includes discounts for professional/association, age of vehicle, good student, good driver, and type of vehicle.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for distant student, switch companies, youthful driver, multi-car, alternative fuel, and good student.
• Farm Bureau offers discounts including 55 and retired, driver training, good student, renewal discount, multi-policy, youthful driver, and multi-vehicle.
• State Farm may offer discounts for good driver, passive restraint, anti-theft, student away at school, and safe vehicle.
• Allstate discounts include premier discount, FullPay discount, new car, defensive driver, economy car, eSmart discount, and safe driver.
• Geico may include discounts for emergency military deployment, membership and employees, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, and anti-theft.

When comparing rates, check with each company which discounts they offer. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in your state. To view providers that have a full spectrum of discounts, click here to view.

How to lower your insurance rates

It’s important that you understand a few of the rating criteria that go into determining your insurance coverage rates. When you understand what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that may result in cheaper rates. Lots of things are considered when premium rates are determined. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but others are less obvious like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.

Listed below are some of the items used by your company to calculate your premiums.

• Your address can impact price – Being located in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. Fewer drivers and short commutes means less chance of accidents in addition to lower liability claims People who live in big cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and longer commutes to work. More time behind the wheel means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
• Eliminate unneeded incidental coverages – Insurance companies have many add-on coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying insurance coverage. Insurance for rental car coverage, accidental death, and Farm Bureau memberships could be just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if you’ve never needed them in the past eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Raise your comp and collision deductibles for better premiums – Comp and collision deductibles tell how much you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be rearending another vehicle, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more of the claim the insured has to pay upfront, the less money you will pay for insurance coverage on Windstar Cargo insurance.
• Marriage can save you money – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your insurance coverage policy. Having a spouse may mean you are more stable financially and statistics prove drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Insurance coverage rates and your occupation – Occupations like judgesair traffic controllers and medical professionals usually pay higher premium rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent away from family. Conversely, jobs like actors, engineers and retirees generally pay rates lower than average on Windstar Cargo insurance.
• Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Choosing a vehicle that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all help prevent auto theft and help lower rates.

Your situation helps dictate your coverage

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

• Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?
• Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
• Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
• Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
• What is roadside assistance coverage?
• Is pleasure use cheaper than using my 2001 Ford Windstar Cargo to commute?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of insurance coverage companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Consumers can’t escape the ads that promise big savings for switching by Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. They all tend to make the same promise about how much you will save if you change to them.

How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the words they use.

All the different companies quote their best rates for the type of insured that will add to their bottom line. For example, this type of risk profile should be between 25 and 40, has a clear driving record, and has excellent credit. A driver who meets those qualifications receives the best car insurance rates and therefore will save a lot if they switch.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for the requirements may be forced to pay higher premium rates and this results in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the savings. This really drives home the point why drivers should do a rate comparison at every renewal. It’s impossible to know which company will fit you best based on your risk profile.

Auto insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

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

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects, hitting a bird and a broken windshield. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for funeral costs, EMT expenses and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Auto liability

Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for claims like funeral expenses, attorney fees, loss of income and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

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 injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your 2001 Ford Windstar Cargo.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, 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.

Collision protection

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Windstar Cargo resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims like driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a mailbox and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Keep this in mind

We’ve covered many ideas to get a better price on 2001 Ford Windstar Cargo insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting affordable auto insurance. You may even find the lowest prices are with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Additional information is located at the links below

• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)
• Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Older Drivers FAQ (iihs.org)