No one in their right mind enjoys paying for insurance coverage, especially when they are aware that the prices are way too high.
Insurance companies such as Allstate, Progressive and Geico all claim big savings with ad campaigns and it can be hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.
A large part of saving on insurance is knowing the rating factors that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you much lower annual insurance costs.
The factors shown below are a few of the things used by insurance companies to determine prices.
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you complete an application, but a few must be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your premiums.
A few companies that may offer these benefits include:
Check with each company or agent to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders everywhere. To locate insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here.
Auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive endlessly run ads on television and other media. All the companies make the point that people will save if you switch your auto insurance coverage to their company. How can each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies look for specific characteristics for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. An example of a driver they prefer should be over the age of 50, has a low-risk occupation, and insures a new vehicle. Anyone that hits that “sweet spot” will get a cheap rate quote and is almost guaranteed to save money with a new company.
Potential customers who don’t meet this stringent profile may be forced to pay more expensive rates which results in the prospect going elsewhere. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save money. That’s the way companies can make claims that they all have the best prices. This illustrates why you should get as many free auto insurance quotes as possible. It is impossible to guess which insurance companies will fit you best based on your risk profile.
When buying the best insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverages available from insurance companies.
This coverage pays for damage to your Tribeca from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for things like damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people, and 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. You might see values of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability can pay for things like attorney fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, emergency aid and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford.
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Subaru Tribeca.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for expenses for things like ambulance fees, rehabilitation expenses, EMT expenses, prosthetic devices and X-ray expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, vandalism and damage from flooding. The maximum payout your insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
We just showed you a lot of techniques to compare 2009 Subaru Tribeca insurance car insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding the cheapest auto insurance. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.
While you’re price shopping online, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Even more information is available in the articles below:
Mattie Cabrera
Does Allstate insure teenage drivers?
Marin Cline
Here’s my quote info. I live in Provo, UT. Received quotes from Allstate, Esurance, and Liberty Mutual for my Subaru and I think I saved about $70 each month. Insured with Esurance before. They have a lot of discounts available. Online quotes are the way to go.
Consuelo Myers
I live east of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Compared quite a few companies. Saved roughly $40 a month. Progressive was the cheapest option for me. I get lower rates because of my clean driving record. Wish I didn’t have to insure at all.
Kim Bolton
Good detail in your article. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota. I don’t recall every quote but I ended up saving about $40 each month. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or not.
Burton Hicks
Great site. From Cleveland, OH. Got car insurance quotes with AAA, Farmers, and Nationwide for my 2009 Subaru Tribeca and saved around $260 a year. Good multi-policy discounts.
Harlan Hamilton
Nice post. I live just outside Augusta, GA. Received quotes with 21st Century, Erie, and GMAC for my Subaru and cut my rates about $390 a year. It’s still not cheap enough.
Marita Tyler
I think I’m paying too much. From Oklahoma City, OK. Went online for free insurance quotes for a 2009 Subaru Tribeca. Ended up at about $140 savings annually. Went with 21st Century. Got better coverage too.
Joshua Shields
Will GEICO raise rates for a small claim?