Being forced to pay for overpriced car insurance premiums can eat up your savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparing price quotes can save money and help to lower your bills every month.
Popular companies such as Allstate, Progressive and Geico all claim big savings, bombarding you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to see past the geckos and flying pigs and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Choosing the best insurance company for you is not rocket science. Drivers only need an understanding of the proper way to get comparison quotes on the web.
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but you might already qualify for some discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but a few must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
One thing to note about discounts is that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
A partial list of companies that possibly offer these benefits include:
When getting a coverage quote, ask every company which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered on policies in your state. If you would like to choose from a list of car insurance companies who offer online car insurance quotes, click this link.
The easiest way to compare insurance rates in your area is to realize almost all companies actually pay money for the chance to quote your coverage. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is provide a small amount of information such as what you do for a living, coverage limits, your education level, and the year, make and model of vehicles. Your rating data gets transmitted to insurance carriers in your area and you will get price comparisons instantly.
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what controls the rates you pay, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you lower premium levels.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions can aid in determining if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Consumers can’t get away from all the ads that promise big savings for switching from the likes of Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies advertise the message about savings if you change to their company.
How is it possible that every company can claim to save you money?
Most companies have underwriting criteria for the type of insured that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 35, has never had a policy lapse, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Anybody that matches those criteria will get the preferred prices and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Drivers who do not match those standards will get a higher rate and this can result in the customer not purchasing. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote. Different companies use different criteria so you really need to compare free insurance coverage quotes often. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will provide the lowest rates.
Learning about specific coverages of insurance helps when choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find the usual coverages offered by insurance companies.
Liability insurance – Liability coverage will cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.
Liability coverage pays for things like court costs, loss of income, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Coverage for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills for things like chiropractic care, ambulance fees and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hail damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer, theft and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things like scraping a guard rail, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Cadillac STS.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to reduce 2011 Cadillac STS insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the lowest rates are with a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
As you quote insurance coverage, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, but do not skimp to save money.
Additional information can be read at these links:
America Barber
Just a quick comment on my experience. I’m in the west part of Birmingham, AL. I quoted with Liberty Mutual, AIG Insurance, Nationwide, and a couple others for my 2011 Cadillac STS and I think I cut my rates about $30 each month. Insured with GMAC before.
Veola Knox
I’m just north of New Haven, CT. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $60 each month.
Bradly Warren
Is State Farm cheap in Eugene, OR?
Analisa Mendez
Cheap is not always the best policy. I’m just east of Warwick, RI. I quoted with Amica, Nationwide, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my 2011 Cadillac STS and I think I saved about $70 each month. Left Eastwood to switch. I got a quote from their website.
Donella Neal
Cheap is not always the best policy. I live on the west side of Salt Lake City, Utah. I got free quotes from Auto-Owners, MetLife, and a few others for my Cadillac and saved $221 a year. Hardly afford to drive anymore.
Margareta Shepherd
IT’S ALL TOO EXPENSIVE! Located in Bellevue, NE. I quoted with AAA, MetLife, and a few others for my STS and saved $456 a year. Insured with Mercury before. I get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles.
Flavia Martin
Progressive and Allstate were both pretty cheap in Frederick, Maryland.
Liberty Gray
Does Illinois require a SR-22 after a DUI?
Dora Russell
Nice info. I live on the east side of Hilo, Hawaii. Don’t remember every company but I ended up saving about $60 each month.
Deedee Goodwin
I’m from Norfolk, Virginia. Received quotes with Amica, Nationwide, and Western Auto Insurance for my Cadillac and saved about $480 a year.
Newton Maxwell
I’m just south of Green Bay, WI. Got rates from GEICO, AIG Insurance, and some I forget for my 2011 Cadillac STS and saved just over $280 a year. LOL
Lyn Hendrix
Just my two cents. I live on the north side of Pittsburgh, PA. Got rates from GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers for my STS and I’m now saving $60 a month. I get multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts. I used their online quote form to compare rates.
Dee Simpson
This is too expensive. From Fairbanks, Alaska. I got free quotes from AAA, Eastwood, and MetLife for my STS and saved about $130 a year. I’m a pretty good driver though. Hardly afford to drive anymore.
Wendell Franks
I’m from Lincoln, NE. Quoted a bunch of companies. Saved about $40 a month. GEICO was the best choice for me. They have free quotes online.
Christin Macdonald
I’m in the east part of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Quoted with 21st Century, Hartford, and Esurance for my Cadillac and saved $314 a year. Insured with Hartford before.
Nola Swanson
I got decent rates for a 2011 Cadillac STS in Denver, CO. Ended up at right around $320 every six months with Amica. Insured with State Farm before. BTW speeding tickets are not good. Bought it from an online quote.
Sherrie Coleman
Live in the northern part of Hartford, CT and for me 21st Century had the lowest quote. I’m a pretty low risk driver.