Lower Your 2009 Scion tC Car Insurance Rates

Feeling guilty for buying overpriced auto insurance? Believe me when I say you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Companies like State Farm, Geico and Farmers Insurance continually bombard you with ads and it can be hard to ignore the flashy ads and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Finding the best rates is quite easy. Consumers only need to know the tricks to compare company rates online.

Ways to get insurance rate quotes

Reducing your 2009 Scion tC insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. Drivers just need to take the time comparing free auto insurance quotes to find. Comparing prices online can be done using a couple different methods.

If you’re in a hurry, the quickest way to get quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quotation requests for every company. In just a few minutes this one form gets insurance cost estimates direct from many companies.

A more time consuming way to obtain and compare quotes online is going to each company website and get a separate price quote. For sake of this example, let’s say you want rates from Auto-Owners, Liberty Mutual and Progressive. To get each rate you have to spend time going to each site individually and enter your policy data, which is not fast way to get rate quotes. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using the same information with each company. If you compare mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the lowest rate for your Scion tC.

Save $421 a year! What?

Drivers can’t avoid all the ads that claim the lowest rates by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to convey the message of big savings just by moving your coverage to them.

That’s great but how can every company charge lower premium rates? You have to listen carefully.

Insurance providers provide the lowest rates for the type of customer that earns them the most money. An example of a driver they prefer might have to be married and over the age of 30, owns a home, and drives a safe vehicle. A driver who meets those qualifications will get very good premium rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who do not meet the requirements must pay a higher premium and this results in the customer buying from a different company. The trick is to say “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make it sound like they have such great premium rates.

This really illustrates why you need to get auto insurance quotes from several different companies. It is just not possible to predict which company will have better car insurance rates than you’re paying now.

Why your insurance prices might be higher

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that help calculate your auto insurance rates. If you have a feel for what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that will entitle you to big savings.

• More people means more accidents – Living in areas with lower population is a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. People in densly populated areas regularly have more aggressive driving styles and more severe claims. Less people means reduced accidents in addition to fewer liability claims.
• Safety ratings are a factor – Safe vehicles are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and fewer serious injuries means less claims paid which can mean better rates for you. If your Scion earned at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may be receiving a better rate.
• Save money with higher comp and collision deductibles – The deductibles tell how much you are required to pay if the claim is covered. Coverage for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, animal collisions, and having a roll-over accident. The more you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be for tC insurance.
• Drive fewer miles and save – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that sit idle most of the time get more affordable rates than cars that get driven a lot. It’s always a good idea to double check that your declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money. An improperly rated tC can cost quite a bit.

Lower-cost car insurance rates with discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available that many consumers don’t even know exist. Many discounts should be triggered at the time you complete a quote, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested before being credited.

• Discounts for Cautious Drivers – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less for tC insurance compared to accident prone drivers.
• Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow their car insurance company to analyze driving habits by using a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system might see lower rates if they have good driving habits.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can get you a discount since home ownership requires personal responsibility.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with ABS braking systems or traction control are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.

We need to note that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though the math looks like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

For a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts, follow this link.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions could help you determine whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

• Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?
• Can my teen drive my company car?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
• If my 2009 Scion tC is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
• Do I need an umbrella policy?
• Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
• How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?

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 agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for expenses like nursing services, chiropractic care, pain medications and rehabilitation expenses. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hitting a deer, theft and vandalism. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of 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 a good idea. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability coverage – Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have 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 things such as court costs, emergency aid, pain and suffering, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your tC caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things such as hitting a mailbox, crashing into a building, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Make a quick buck

When you buy auto insurance online, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We covered a lot of tips how to compare 2009 Scion tC insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding the cheapest auto insurance. Drivers may discover the best rates are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower car insurance rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Geico and State Farm.

For more information, link through to the articles below:

• Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
• Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
• Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)