Lower Your 2003 Kia Optima Car Insurance Rates

Searching for cheaper insurance for a Kia Optima can turn out to be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to find lower rates. There are both good and bad ways to compare insurance coverage rates so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to quote coverages for a new or used Kia and get the best price possible either online or from local insurance agents.

You should take the time to check insurance coverage prices quite often because insurance coverage rates fluctuate regularly. Even if you think you had the lowest rate on Optima insurance at your last renewal there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because we’re going to demonstrate one of the best ways to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Finding the best rates is not that difficult. If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you can follow these tips to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Drivers just need to learn the most efficient way to compare price quotes online.

Get cheaper insurance costs by understanding these factors

Many different elements are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but some are less apparent like your vehicle usage or your commute time.The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that help calculate the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you understand what impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to lower premium levels.

The following are a few of the things that factor into your rate level.

• Where you call home can affect rates – Residing in small towns and rural areas may provide you with better prices when it comes to auto insurance. People who live in big cities tend to have more road rage incidents and much longer commute distances. Lower population means reduced accidents in addition to fewer liability claims.
• Do you know your comp and collision deductibles? – Physical damage protection, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your Kia. Some examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are how much you are required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more expense you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be on Optima insurance.
• Bundling policies can get discounts – Most insurance companies will give lower prices to buyers who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. This can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
• Married drivers pay less – Being married actually saves money when shopping for auto insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more stable financially and insurance companies reward insureds because drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
• Certain vocations pay higher auto insurance rates – Jobs like military personnel, executives and miners generally have higher premium rates due to intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Other careers such as scientists, athletes and retirees receive lower rates on Optima insurance.
• How much liability insurance – Liability insurance kicks in when you are ruled to be at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage which can cost a lot. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
• Cautious drivers pay better prices – Just one moving violation could increase your next policy renewal substantially. Good drivers get better prices than bad drivers. Drivers unfortunate enough to have license-revoking tickets like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.

The most recommended method to compare car insurance rates is to know most insurance companies have advanced systems to compare their rates. To start a quote, the only thing you need to do is give the companies some data including your credit rating estimate, if it has an alarm system, your occupation, and whether your vehicle is owned or leased. That rating data is then sent to multiple companies and you will get price comparisons immediately.

Do you qualify for discount car insurance?

Car insurance is expensive, but there could be significant discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be asked about before you will receive the discount.

• Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a slight reduction on a car insurance quote on Optima insurance.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying a new car instead of a used car can cost up to 25% less since newer vehicles are generally safer.
• Full Payment Discount – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
• Online Discount – A few larger online companies will give you a small discount for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
• Own a Home and Save – Owning a house can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Discounts for Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government could cut as much as 10% off on Optima insurance with certain companies.
• Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the PIP or medical payment premium.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles prevent vehicle theft so companies will give you a small discount.
• Discount for Swiching Early – A few insurance companies offer discounts for switching policies early. You can save around 10% with this discount.

A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that adding up those discounts means a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A few companies who might offer these benefits are:

• State Farm
• Liberty Mutual
• American Family
• Progressive
• Farmers Insurance
• Auto-Owners Insurance
• SAFECO

Before you buy a policy, ask every company what discounts are available to you. Savings may not be offered in your area.

What insurance coverages do I need?

When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• How high should deductibles be on a 2003 Kia Optima?
• Does my 2003 Kia Optima qualify for pleasure use?
• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
• What exactly is covered by my policy?
• How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
• Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?

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 agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

Coverages available on your insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Liability coverages

This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers claims like structural damage, medical services, legal defense fees, loss of income and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Optima resulting from a 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 coverage pays for things like backing into a parked car, crashing into a building, hitting a mailbox, colliding with a tree and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

UM/UIM Coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Kia Optima.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as fire damage, hitting a bird and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout your insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses such as nursing services, pain medications, rehabilitation expenses, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Save your cold hard cash

Lower-priced 2003 Kia Optima insurance can be found both online and also from your neighborhood agents, so get free car insurance quotes from both of them to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not provide rate quotes online and these regional carriers work with local independent agencies.

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to lower your 2003 Kia Optima insurance prices. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest prices are with a small mutual company.

Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including policy cancellation, not issuing a premium refund, high rates after DUI convictions or even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching auto insurance companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

Additional detailed information is located in these articles:

• Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
• Rollover Crash FAQ (iihs.org)