Lower Your 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 Insurance Cost

I really doubt anyone looks forward to buying insurance coverage, especially knowing the prices are way too high.

Companies like Geico and Progressive persitently shower you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and find the best price available.

How to shop car insurance online

All major car insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm provide coverage prices online. Doing online quotes doesn’t take a lot of time because it’s just a matter of typing in the coverages you want into a form. Behind the scenes, the system collects your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information based on these and other factors. Online price estimates makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time required to go to many different websites and fill out multiple forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it is imperative to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the lowest car insurance rates.

A less time-consuming method to find better car insurance pricing uses one simple form to return rates from multiple companies. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online shopping much simpler. After sending the form, your coverage is rated and you can choose any one of the quotes that you receive.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To quickly fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, simply click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you enter the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This way, you’re receiving a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.

Seven factors that impact insurance premiums

Many things are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, although some other factors are not as apparent like where you live or your commute time.

The factors shown below are most of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine rates.

Adjust coverage deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Protection for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some coverage claims would be colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, and damage from wind. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive on Sierra insurance.
Cars with good safety ratings save money – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and fewer serious injuries means less claims paid and cheaper rates on your policy. If the GMC Sierra 1500 scored at minimum four stars on Safercar.gov you are probably receiving a discount.
How many miles do you drive? – Driving a lot of miles annually the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how much you drive. Vehicles that do not get driven very much receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. An incorrectly rated Sierra 1500 is just wasting money.
Don’t let your insurance lapse – Allowing your insurance policy to lapse will be a fast way to bump up your insurance costs. In addition to paying higher premiums, getting caught without coverage may result in a steep fine or even jail time. You could then be forced to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department.
Men pay more for car insurance – Statistics show females are less aggressive when driving. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both genders get in fender benders at about the same rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
An active insurance claims history can cost you more – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Companies award the best rates to insureds who are not frequent claim filers. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
City dwellers may pay more – Having an address in areas with lower population can save you money if you are looking for the lowest rates. Less people living in that area means less chance of accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. People in densly populated areas regularly have traffic congestion and more time behind the wheel. Higher commute times statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.

Find hidden discounts on insurance

Buying insurance is not cheap, but there could be significant discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Certain reductions will be credited when you complete an application, but a few must be specially asked for before you get the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.

Driver’s Education for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
Student in College – who live away from home to go to college and do not take a car to college may be able to be covered for less.
Waiver for an Accident – Not really a discount, but companies like Allstate and State Farm will let one accident slide before your rates go up if your claims history is clear prior to being involved in the accident.
Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more on Sierra insurance compared to accident prone drivers.
Early Signing – A few insurance companies offer discounts for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current policy. You may see this discount when you get insurance coverage quotes online.
Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed in the military may lower your prices slightly.
Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than spreading payments over time you could save up to 5%.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings as much as 30%.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off the medical payments premium.

Don’t be shocked that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.

The best insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.

Farm Bureau discounts include multi-policy, youthful driver, 55 and retired, renewal discount, good student, and safe driver.
State Farm may include discounts for anti-theft, good driver, defensive driving training, accident-free, safe vehicle, multiple autos, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, online quote discount, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
Allstate has savings for new car, defensive driver, early signing, eSmart discount, premier plus, passive restraint, and multi-policy.
Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including family plan, Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, good student, easy pay, and multi-policy.
MetLife offers premium reductions for accident-free, defensive driver, claim-free, multi-policy, good student, good driver

Before you buy a policy, ask every company how many discounts you can get. Savings might not be offered in your state.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions can aid in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

What if I total my 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 and owe more than it’s worth?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
At what point should I drop full coverage?
Can my babysitter drive my car?
Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Car insurance coverages for a GMC Sierra 1500

Having a good grasp of auto insurance can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding, a broken windshield, fire damage and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses such as nursing services, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses, ambulance fees and surgery. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your 2006 GMC Sierra 1500.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Liability car insurance

Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Find Good Coverage for Less

We just showed you some good ideas how you can compare 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting cheaper insurance coverage. You may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

When getting insurance coverage quotes online, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost while not skimping on critical coverages.

Lower-priced insurance is attainable both online and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not have online rate quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.