2012 Ford Focus Car Insurance Quotes – 10 Savings Tips

Want cheaper car insurance rates for your Ford Focus? I can’t think of a single person who gets a kick out of paying for car insurance, especially when they are aware that they could find better prices if they shop around.

Many car insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a provider to find the absolute lowest rate possible.

It’s a good habit to do rate comparisons before your next renewal since insurance prices trend upward over time. Even if you think you had the lowest price on Focus coverage on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out the best way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Finding affordable coverage is quite easy. But drivers do need to understand how big insurance companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.

Finding car insurance

When shopping for affordable insurance coverage quotes, there are a couple of ways to compare rate quotes from many car insurance companies in your state. The quickest method to do a complete rate comparison is to jump online and get quotes. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

1. One of the fastest ways consumers can make multiple comparisons is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing multiple quote forms for each company. A single, simple form gets prices estimates from all major companies.
2. A more difficult way to get comparison quotes is going to the website of each company and go through the quote process again. For examples sake, we’ll assume you need rates from Farmers, Liberty Mutual and Progressive. To do that, you would have to spend time going to each site individually to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.

   For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

3. The hardest way to find cheaper rates is driving around to different agent offices. Quoting and buying insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you want the personal advice that you can only get from talking to an agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent.

How you compare quotes is your choice, just make sure you use nearly identical quote data for every company. If the quotes have different limits and deductibles on each one then you won’t be able to make a fair rate comparison. Slightly different coverage limits could mean much higher rates. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that getting more free quotes helps improve the odds of finding better pricing. Some companies don’t provide online rate quotes, so you need to compare prices on coverage from those companies, too.

Get cheaper insurance quotes with discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as the least known credits available to you.

• Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies provide a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
• Multiple Cars – Purchasing coverage when you have all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount for every vehicle.
• Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Defensive Driver – Passing a defensive driving course is a good idea and can lower rates if you qualify.
• Driving Data Discount – Insureds who allow driving data submission to analyze when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematic data system like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
• Homeowners Savings – Owning your own home or condo may trigger a policy discount on insurance because maintaining a house is proof of financial responsibility.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger insurance companies have a small discount if you purchase life insurance.
• Club Memberships – Being a member of qualifying employment or professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your next insurance statement.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.

Discounts lower rates, but most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, nobody gets a free ride.

Larger insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.

• Progressive has savings for online signing, continuous coverage, online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
• AAA offers premium reductions for multi-policy, good driver, pay-in-full, multi-car, and education and occupation.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for early shopping, alternative fuel, bundle discounts, business and professional, good student, and teen driver.
• Geico may have discounts that include defensive driver, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, membership and employees, five-year accident-free, and air bags.
• Esurance discounts include Pac-12 alumni, online quote, anti-theft, online shopper, defensive driver, and good student.
• SAFECO may offer discounts for accident prevention training, homeowner, multi-car, safe driver, anti-theft, and anti-lock brakes.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, defensive driving training, good driver, driver’s education, good student, and accident-free.

If you need low cost insurance coverage quotes, ask every insurance company to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in every state. If you would like to view insurers who offer free insurance quotes, click this link.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you might need professional guidance.

• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
• Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
• When can I cancel my policy?
• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking 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

Do car insurance companies bend the truth?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads on television and other media. They all advertise the message that you’ll save big after switching to their company. That’s great but how can every company claim to save you money? Here is the trick they use.

Different companies quote their best rates for the type of driver that earns them the most money. For example, a profitable insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns their home, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. A customer who fits those characteristics will qualify for the lowest premium rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who do not match the “perfect” profile may receive a higher premium which leads to business not being written. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This really illustrates why it’s extremely important to do a price quote comparison at every renewal. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Specifics of your car insurance policy

Having a good grasp of car insurance aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the usual coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from flooding, hitting a bird and fire damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability coverages

This can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers things such as medical expenses, attorney fees, funeral expenses and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Collision protection

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as backing into a parked car, sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Insurance for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills like surgery, EMT expenses, funeral costs, prosthetic devices and nursing services. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Ford Focus.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Make an honest buck

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Cost effective 2012 Ford Focus insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents, so you need to quote insurance coverage with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller providers work with independent agents.

We just covered a lot of tips how to compare 2012 Ford Focus insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding inexpensive insurance coverage. Drivers may discover the best price on insurance coverage is with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Geico and State Farm.

Other learning opportunities

• Booster Seat Ratings (iihs.org)
• What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
• Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
• Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
• Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)