Save on 2004 Ford Ranger Insurance Rates

No one gets a kick out of paying for car insurance, especially knowing the cost is way too high.

You have so many car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, having more insurance companies makes it harder to adequately compare rates.

How to find the cheapest insurance

When looking for affordable auto insurance quotes, there are a couple ways to get quotes from many insurance companies in your state. The fastest way to do a complete rate comparison is to use the internet to compare rates. This is quite simple and can be completed by using one of the methods below.

1. The most efficient way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for each company. Just one form gets you coverage quotes from all major companies.
2. A different way to shop for insurance online requires visiting each company website and go through the quote process again. For example, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, Geico and GMAC. You would have to visit each site and repeatedly enter your information, which can be really labor intensive. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

Whichever way you choose to compare rates, make darn sure you compare equivalent quote information on every price quote you get. If you are comparing differing limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best. Slightly different insurance coverages can make a big difference in price. And when comparing insurance rates, know that obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate. Some regional insurers cannot provide quotes online, so you should also compare price estimates from the smaller companies as well.

Discounts can really help lower premiums

Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain credits will be shown when you get a quote, but occassionally some discounts must be requested specifically in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Pay Early and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
• Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
• No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents get the best car insurance rates in comparison to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
• Multi-line Discount – Some car insurance companies give lower prices if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Drivers who insure all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
• Homeowners Discount – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on medical payment and PIP coverage.
• Clubs and Organizations – Being in a qualifying organization can get you a small discount on your next renewal.
• Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers may save up to 50% more on Ranger insurance compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.

Discounts lower rates, but most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of providers who offer discounts, click here.

Decisions you make can impact your insurance costs

The best way to find cheaper insurance coverage is to take a look at some of the things that help calculate your premiums. If you know what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better insurance coverage rates. Multiple criteria are used when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, although others are more transparent such as your marital status or how safe your car is.

The factors shown below are most of the major factors that factor into rates.

• Driving citations can be expensive – Being a careful driver impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one citation may cause rates to rise by twenty percent. Drivers who have gotten dangerous violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive.
• Little extras can really add up – There are quite a few extra add-on coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Things like rental car coverage, towing coverage, and extra life insurance coverage could be just wasting money. These may sound like a good investment when deciding what coverages you need, but your needs may have changed so remove them and pocket the money.
• Theft deterrents lower prices – Buying a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all help stop your car from being stolen.
• Certain employers pay higher insurance coverage rates – Jobs such as judgesairline pilots and stock brokers have higher premiums than the average policyholder due to stressful work requirements and long work days. Conversely, jobs like scientists, athletes and retirees pay the least on Ranger insurance.
• Your address can modify premiums – Residing in less populated areas may provide you with better prices when buying insurance coverage. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. More time on the road translates into higher accident risk.
• Avoid insurance coverage lapses – Driving without insurance is not a good idea and companies may charge more for letting your coverage lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
• Which gender costs less? – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Both sexes tend to get into fender benders at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also tend to get higher numbers of serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
• Your credit score is important – Your credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you may save money insuring your 2004 Ford Ranger if you improve your credit rating. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit scores.

Will just any policy work for me?

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might help in determining if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Is motorclub coverage worth it?
• Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
• Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
• What discounts do I qualify for?
• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
• Are rental cars covered under my policy?
• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Car insurance coverages and their meanings

Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.

Comprehensive coverage

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

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like vandalism, hitting a deer and hitting a bird. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for expenses such as EMT expenses, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and X-ray expenses. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by 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 insurance covers claims such as crashing into a ditch, backing into a parked car, hitting a mailbox and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Liability auto insurance

This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers claims such as medical expenses, court costs and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Never pay more for less

You just read quite a bit of information on how to shop for 2004 Ford Ranger insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheap auto insurance. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates are with the least-expected company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.

Some insurance companies do not offer rates over the internet and these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agents. Cheaper insurance is definitely available both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection.

Additional information can be read at these links:

• Prepare your Teens for Safe Driving (InsureUonline.org)
• Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Child Safety FAQ (iihs.org)
• Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)