Save on 2004 Ford Five Hundred Car Insurance Cost

Car owners who are new to the process of comparing rates online may find locating cheaper car insurance is harder than it should be.

You should take the time to do price comparisons yearly because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best premium rates for Five Hundred insurance two years ago you can probably find a better price now. Block out anything you think you know about insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the only way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

This article will teach you how car insurance quotes work and some tips to save money. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using this strategy. But vehicle owners must understand the methods companies use to compete online and use this information to your advantage.

Save with with these discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some discounts will apply when you complete an application, but some must be manually applied before you get the savings.

• Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease for Five Hundred insurance but check with your company.
• Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower insurance rates.
• Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time as opposed to paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Theft Deterent Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems help deter theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
• Mature Driver Discount – Mature drivers are able to get a discount up to 10% for Five Hundred insurance.

As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

Some companies that possibly offer these benefits possibly include:

• 21st Century
• Progressive
• State Farm
• Nationwide
• Esurance
• The Hartford

Double check with every company which credits you are entitled to. Savings might not apply everywhere. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts, click here.

What determines Ford Five Hundred insurance prices?

Part of the insurance buying process is learning some of the elements that come into play when calculating your insurance rates. When you understand what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find cheaper rates.

Listed below are some of the things used by insurance companies to determine premiums.

• Never have insurance lapses – Having a lapse in insurance coverage is a quick way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will rates go up, being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.
• Driver age impacts costs – Young drivers are known to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher insurance rates. If you’ve ever had to add a first-time driver onto a policy can cause a big jump in price. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents , and usually have better credit.
• Know your credit history – Having a good credit score factor in determining what you pay. Therefore, if your credit score could use some work, you may save money insuring your 2004 Ford Five Hundred if you clean up your credit. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be more responsible than those with bad credit.
• Does your occupation cost you more? – Careers such as doctorsair traffic controllers and financial analysts tend to pay higher premium rates because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent away from family. Other careers like farmers, historians and the unemployed get better rates for Five Hundred insurance.
• Single drivers may get higher rates – Your spouse helps lower the price on your insurance policy. It means you’re more mature than a single person and insurance companies like that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Better premiums on safer vehicles – Cars with high safety ratings cost less to insure. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and reduced instances of injuries translates directly to fewer claims and lower rates for you. If your Ford Five Hundred scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it is probably cheaper to insure.
• Alarm systems systems cut premiums – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can earn a premium discount. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent car theft and help bring rates down.

Your situation helps dictate your coverage

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions might point out if you could use an agent’s help.

• Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
• Should I have a commercial auto policy?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• Do I need rental car coverage?
• Is motorclub coverage worth it?
• Can I rent a car in Mexico?
• Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
• Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• What is roadside assistance coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Insurance advertising tricks

Insurance providers like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all have a common claim that you’ll save big just by moving your policy. Is it even possible that every company can charge lower premium rates?

Companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of insured that will be a good risk. An example of a profitable risk profile might have to be between 25 and 40, carries full coverage, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will get the preferred car insurance rates and will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who cannot meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher premiums and business going elsewhere. The ads say “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” will save that much if they switch. This is how insurance companies can make those statements.

Because of this risk profiling, you need to do a quote comparison often. Because you cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest premium rates.

Educate yourself about insurance coverages

Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Ford Five Hundred.

Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Normally these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like damage from flooding, theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane and fire damage. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision coverage

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers things like backing into a parked car, crashing into a building and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability

Liability coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. It protects you against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, 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 and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability insurance covers claims such as structural damage, repair costs for stationary objects and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like dental work, funeral costs, X-ray expenses and chiropractic care. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Save your cold hard cash

We’ve covered a lot of ways to save on 2004 Ford Five Hundred insurance. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get prices for, the better your chances of lowering your prices. Consumers may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from a small local company.

When shopping online for insurance, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, poor customer service, delays in paying claims and being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company can be easier than you think.

Additional information can be found at the links below

• Learn About Car Insurance (Geico)
• Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)
• Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• What is Gap Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)