Lower Your 2005 Pontiac Bonneville Insurance Rates

Searching for the cheapest insurance rates for your Pontiac Bonneville? Comparison shopping for more affordable insurance can be slightly frustrating for drivers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. With so many agents and companies, it can be a chore to find cheaper insurance rates.

Find lower-cost auto insurance with these tips

Lots of things are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious such as your driving record, but other criteria are more transparent such as your credit history or your commute time.

The itemized list below are a few of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set premiums.

• Raise your deductibles for better costs – The deductibles are how much you are required to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be rearending another vehicle, fire damage, or theft of your vehicle. The more expense you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your auto insurance will be for Bonneville coverage.
• Cheaper rates by bundling – Most insurers give better rates to people who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, consumers should still get quotes from other companies to help guarantee you have the best rates.
• Low stress occupation equals lower premiums – Careers such as lawyers, business owners and emergency personnel have higher premium rates because of high stress and long work days. Other careers such as professors, historians and retirees pay lower than average rates for Bonneville coverage.
• Excellent credit equals lower costs – Having a good credit rating can be an important factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Therefore, if your credit is low, you could pay less to insure your 2005 Pontiac Bonneville by taking the time to improve your credit score. People with high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit ratings.
• High insurance claims frequency drives up rates – If you file claims often, you should expect higher rates. Insurance companies generally give discounts to people who file claims infrequently. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
• Do you have enough liability? – Liability coverage is the protection when you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.

Take advantage of every insurance coverage discount

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise the complete list of policy discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details both well-publicized as well as the least known credits available to you. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Switch and Save Discount – Some insurance coverage companies provide a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having several vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Driver Training Discounts – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount and also improve your driving technique.
• Save over 55 – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may qualify for lower premium rates for Bonneville coverage.
• Drive Less and Save – Low annual miles could earn slightly better premium rates than normal.
• Safety Restraint Discount – Requiring all passengers to buckle up may be able to save a few bucks on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
• New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper since newer models are generally safer.
• Braking Control Discount – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Good Student – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
• Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with certain professional organizations can get you a small discount on your next insurance coverage statement.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

A few companies that may offer policyholders these benefits are:

• Geico
• SAFECO
• State Farm
• MetLife
• 21st Century
• Progressive

Before buying, ask every prospective company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your area. To see providers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts, click here.

But they said I’d save $467 a year!

Companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you switch your coverage to them. But how can every company say the same thing? Here is how they do it.

Most companies quote their cheapest rates for the type of customer that will be a good risk. One example of a driver they prefer should be over the age of 35, has other policies, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. Any person who fits those characteristics receives the best car insurance rates as well as save money with a new company.

Drivers who do not match the requirements may be required to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can make it sound like they have such great prices.

This really illustrates why drivers should get price quotes at each policy renewal. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance companies will provide the lowest premium rates.

How to know if you need help

When buying adequate coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if your situation could use an agent’s help.

• Is my 2005 Pontiac Bonneville covered for smoke damage?
• Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
• Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
• What is medical payments coverage?
• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• Who is covered by my policy?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?

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 an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Learn about insurance coverages for a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville

Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Liability auto insurance

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against things like pain and suffering, structural damage and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy higher limits if possible.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Bonneville caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims like scraping a guard rail, crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Pontiac Bonneville.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses such as X-ray expenses, surgery, hospital visits, EMT expenses and chiropractic care. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal

We just showed you many tips how you can lower your 2005 Pontiac Bonneville insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding inexpensive insurance. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a smaller regional carrier.

There are still a few companies who don’t offer rate quotes online and many times these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agents. Lower-priced insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.

Insureds switch companies for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, high prices, policy cancellation or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding the right insurance provider is easier than you think.

Much more information about insurance can be found below:

• Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
• If I File a Claim will My Insurance Go Up? (Insurance Information Insitute)