Are you at wits end from not being able to scrape enough together to pay high auto insurance rates every month? You’re in the same situation as many other consumers. There are many auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, more choices can make it harder to find the best rates.
Consumers should take time to quote other rates every six months because auto insurance prices change quite often. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate for Accord coverage two years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower premium rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the proper way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
Lots of factors are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but others are not as apparent such as whether you are married and annual miles driven.The best way to find cheaper insurance coverage is to take a look at the different types of things that are used to determine your insurance coverage rates. If you know what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower insurance coverage prices.
Most companies give insurance quotes directly from their websites. Doing online quotes is very simple as all you need to do is type in the coverage amounts you desire into the form. After the form is submitted, their system makes automated requests for your credit score and driving record and gives you a price quote determined by many factors. Quoting online streamlines rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit multiple sites and fill out multiple forms is a waste of time. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes if you are searching for better auto insurance pricing.
There is a better way to compare rates
The smarter way to get multiple rate quotes uses one form that gets prices from a lot of companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes rate comparisons much more efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the pricing results.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. This process only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.
To quickly compare rates now, simply click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend that you enter deductibles and limits as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate quotes for the exact same coverage.
Consumers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make the point about how much you will save if you move to their company.
How do they all make the same claim?
Insurance companies give the cheapest rates for the type of driver that earns them the most money. For example, a desirable insured may be over the age of 50, has no claims, and drives a safe vehicle. Any new insured that fits those parameters will probably get cheap prices and will save when switching.
Consumers who cannot meet these standards must pay more expensive rates and this can result in the customer buying from a different company. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That is how companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great car insurance rates.
This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to guess which auto insurance company will have better rates than you’re paying now.
Insurance is expensive, but companies offer discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. A few discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but some discounts are required to be manually applied before being credited.
One thing to note about discounts is that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
Some of the insurance companies who may offer these discounts are:
If you are trying to find low cost insurance coverage quotes, ask every company how you can save money. Savings might not be offered in your state. If you would like to choose from a list of providers that offer discounts, follow this link.
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can help discover whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.
Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the normal coverages available from insurance companies.
Liability coverages
This protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims like emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills such as prosthetic devices, hospital visits, funeral costs, EMT expenses and nursing services. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Honda Accord.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as a broken windshield, hitting a bird, vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and falling objects. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision protection
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Accord resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims such as backing into a parked car, driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not offer online rate quotes and these smaller companies only sell through independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be read in these articles:
Assunta Holcomb
Hope my rates come down. I live just outside Shreveport, Louisiana. Quoted with State Farm, Eastwood, and GMAC for my 2008 Honda Accord and I think I saved around $40 each month. Insured with GEICO before. I get multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts.
Maryland Lindsay
I chose to switch to 21st Century from American Family. I live in Gaithersburg, MD. Left USAA to switch. Got better coverage too.
Myra Schwartz
Lots of useful info here. I live on the south side of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Went online for free insurance quotes for a 2008 Honda Accord. Ended up at about $570 savings annually. Went with 21st Century. Insured with AIG Insurance before. Just go online and compare their rates.
Charissa Strickland
Here’s what I found out. I live east of Indianapolis, IN. Quoted quotes with Amica, Farmers, and Mercury for my Honda and saved $283 a year.
Tamisha Buck
From northwest of New York City, New York. Received quotes with Western Auto Insurance, AAA, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide for my Accord and I’m now saving $46 a month. They have a lot of discounts available. You can get a rate quote online.
Kirstin Noel
GEICO and Allstate were both pretty cheap in Jacksonville, FL.
Jeanne Sanford
Will GEICO raise rates after an accident?
Antonina Sandoval
Like your site, BTW. Proud to be from Rio Rancho, NM. I got free rates from Hartford, AAA, Safeco, and a couple others for my Honda and saved just over $310 a year. Left Erie to switch. A clean driving record helps. They have free quotes online.
Kip Bridges
Does State Farm offer new car replacement?
Jerold Duke
Where can I find cheaper car insurance in Fort Wayne, IN?
Tasia Stephenson
Enjoyed the article. I live north of Evansville, Indiana. Received rates from Western Auto Insurance, Auto-Owners, The General, and Nationwide for my Accord and am saving around $550 a year. I have kids on my policy, too.
Bailey Day
Well-written and thought out article. Went with GMAC for my 2008 Honda Accord and saved around $230 a year. Left Liberty Mutual to switch. I increased coverages a little too.
Justina Dunlap
Good site, thanks. Checking in from Little Rock, AR. Got free quotes online for a 2008 Honda Accord. Ended up at about $540 savings annually. Went with GEICO. Hopefully won’t need it.
Tiffany Barton
From a town just southwest of Des Moines, IA. Got quotes with Allstate, Eastwood, and Liberty Mutual for my 2008 Honda Accord and I think I saved around $60 each month.