I can’t think of anyone who likes buying car insurance, particularly when the price is too high. You have multiple auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, having more auto insurance companies makes it harder to find the best rates.
Buying car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to save some money using these methods. Vehicle owners just need to know the tricks to compare price quotes online.
A large part of saving on insurance coverage is knowing some of the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance coverage. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs. Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but others are less obvious such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
The list below includes some of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine your rate level.
The majority of larger companies provide coverage prices direct online. Doing online price comparisons is fairly simple as you just enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the quote system requests reports for credit and driving violations and returns a price quote based on these factors. Online quotes makes it simple to compare prices but the time it takes to visit a lot of sites and type in the same data can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to get better prices.
The easiest way to compare rates makes use of a single form to return rates from more than one company. It’s a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes rate comparisons much simpler. After sending the form, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and may result in a nice savings.
To compare pricing, click here to open in a new tab and complete the simple form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you complete the form with the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This ensures you will have comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.
Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but occassionally some discounts must be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit.
Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
A few companies that may offer policyholders many of the previously listed discounts are:
Before buying, ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. A few discounts may not apply to policyholders everywhere. To see a list of insurers who offer online car insurance quotes, click here.
When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions might point out if you might need professional guidance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to 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 It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining 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 usual coverages found on the average car insurance policy.
This coverage pays for damage to your Impreza resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
This covers 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 insurance covers claims like theft, hitting a deer, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries 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. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses for things like nursing services, dental work, funeral costs, prosthetic devices and EMT expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like loss of income, funeral expenses, attorney fees, court costs and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible.
When getting insurance coverage quotes online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.
Cheaper car insurance can be found online in addition to many insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.
More tips and info about car insurance can be found in these articles:
Alyce Murray
Any GEICO or Farmers customers near Overland Park, Kansas?
Jessica Prince
Mine is so expensive. Located in Madison, Wisconsin. I quoted with State Farm, Farmers, and Hartford for my Impreza and I’m now saving $49 a month. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or not.
Tennie Hernandez
I’m looking for cheaper coverage. I’m in the north part of Honolulu, HI. Compared rates from a lot of places. Saved roughly $50 a month. GEICO was the most affordable for me. I have a couple other vehicles on the policy. It’s easy to compare rates online now.
Iona Klein
I found pretty cheap rate quotes for a 2010 Subaru Impreza in Seattle, WA. Ended up at right around $150 every six months with AIG Insurance. I get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles. It was easy to get rates.
Tanika Reyes
Will GEICO insure with a DUI in Columbia, South Carolina?
Gregorio Cotton
Well-written and thought out article. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Quoted quotes from 21st Century, Hanover, and Encompass for my 2010 Subaru Impreza and cut my rates about $450 a year.
Al Ellis
Cheap car insurance? What’s that? I live in a small town just outside of Honolulu, HI. Don’t remember every company but I ended up saving about $50 each month. Hardly afford to drive anymore.
Kathern Cunningham
I found pretty cheap rate quotes for a 2010 Subaru Impreza in Norman, OK. Ended up at darn near $100 every six months with AAA. Can still barely afford it.
Kathi Noble
Progressive and State Farm had the best prices I found in North Carolina.
Lawerence Meadows
I got decent rates for a 2010 Subaru Impreza in Detroit, MI. Ended up at right around $170 every six months with AAA.
Hong Bradford
Hope my rates come down. I live north of Juneau, AK. Quoted quotes from Safeco, Encompass, 21st Century, and Amica for my Subaru and saved about $370 a year. Left Eastwood to switch. Thankfully I have a good driving record. I quoted rates online then called them.
Chery Allen
It’s all a rip off. Live in the northern part of Henderson, NV. Quoted with Amica, Esurance, and Mercury for my Subaru and saved around $320 a year. Got better coverage too. It’s still not cheap enough.
Cathleen Bond
Cheaper car insurance is a myth. I live in a small town just outside of Atlanta, GA. I got free quotes with Progressive, Auto-Owners, and some I forget for my Impreza and I’m now saving $62 a month.
Kathie Pena
I live east of Provo, Utah. Quoted a bunch of companies. Saved darn near $40 a month. State Farm was the best choice for me. Moved home policy as well.