Lower Your 2010 Volvo S40 Insurance Quotes

Pretty sure you bought overpriced insurance coverage? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Due to the large number of companies and agents to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to pick the best insurer.

It’s a good idea to compare premium rates before your policy renews since prices change regularly. If you had the best deal for S40 insurance last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because you’re going to learn the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Compare insurance rates

Cutting your insurance rates can be relatively painless. All you need to do is take the time to get quotes from online providers. It’s really simple and can be done using one of these methods.

1. The fastest and easiest way to find low rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This quick form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms for every insurance company. Completing one form will return quotes instantly.
2. A less efficient way to analyze rates is going to each company website and go through the quote process again. For example, we’ll assume you want to view quotes from USAA, Geico and Liberty Mutual. To find out each rate you need to go to every website and punch in your information repeatedly, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
3. The last way to price shop rates is physically going to insurance agents’ offices. The fact that you can get quotes online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you prefer the trained guidance that only a licensed agent can provide. Although you can obtain prices from the web but still have the advice of a local agent.

Whichever way you choose to compare rates, be sure you’re using apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each price quote. If the quotes have differing limits you will not be able to find the best deal for your Volvo S40.

Use discounts to get cheaper car insurance quotes

Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might already qualify for some discounts to help bring down the price. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of purchase, but a few must be asked for before you get the savings.

• Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a driver safety course is a good idea and can lower rates and also improve your driving technique.
• ABS Brakes – Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Student Discounts – Excelling in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
• Telematics Devices – People who choose to allow driving data collection to scrutinize driving habits by using a telematics device like Allstate’s Drivewise may get a rate reduction if they have good driving habits.
• Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
• Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in school or through a local driver safety program.

Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. But any discount will positively reduce the premium cost.

Popular car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.

• State Farm offers discounts including anti-theft, defensive driving training, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, good student, and multiple policy.
• American Family has discounts for Steer into Savings, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, mySafetyValet, air bags, and early bird.
• Geico may have discounts that include seat belt use, daytime running lights, good student, driver training, federal employee, five-year accident-free, and anti-theft.
• 21st Century discounts include theft prevention, homeowners, student driver, air bags, automatic seat belts, and anti-lock brakes.
• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including homeowner, good student, multi-policy, online signing, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.

Before you buy a policy, ask all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts listed above may not apply everywhere. To see companies with the best discounts, click here to view.

Tailor your insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions may help highlight whether you might need professional guidance.

• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
• Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
• How can I force my company to pay a claim?
• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
• Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in my state?
• Can I get a multi-policy discount?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Lower insurance rates with these tips

Lots of things are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but other factors are more transparent such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating your premiums. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower rates.

• Never let your insurance lapse – Allowing your insurance policy to lapse is a sure-fire way to bump up your insurance costs. And not only will your rates increase, the inability to provide proof of insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.
• Poor credit decisions can cost you – A driver’s credit score is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay. People that have good credit tend to file fewer claims than those with lower credit ratings. Therefore, if your credit rating is not that good, you could save money insuring your 2010 Volvo S40 by improving your credit score.
• Lower premiums for cars with good safety ratings – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles engineered for safety reduce injuries and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less passed on to you as lower rates. If your Volvo S40 has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
• Gender and car insurance – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. However, don’t assume that males are worse at driving than females. Females and males tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but males get into accidents with more damage. They also have more aggressive citations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Males from age 16 to 21 cause the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive insurance rates.
• Lower rates with alarm systems – Choosing to buy a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.

Specific coverage details

Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your S40 caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your 2010 Volvo S40.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Insurance for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses like nursing services, hospital visits, prosthetic devices, doctor visits and rehabilitation expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Liability car insurance – Liability insurance protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers things like legal defense fees, bail bonds, attorney fees, medical services and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like vandalism, theft and hail damage. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Be Smart and Buy Smart

We just covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on 2010 Volvo S40 insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost while still protecting your assets.

A few companies may not offer online quoting and usually these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies. Cheaper insurance can be found on the web as well as from independent agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money.

Additional information can be read below:

• Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
• How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
• Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Insitute)
• When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
• Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Insitute)