No one in their right mind looks forward to paying for car insurance, especially knowing their premiums are through the roof.
Because there are so many different company options, it’s difficult to choose the most cost effective car insurance company.
The purpose of this post is to tell you how to effectively get price quotes and some tricks to saving. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to save some money using these techniques. Although consumers must comprehend the methods companies use to sell insurance online.
There are a variety of methods to shop for car insurance, but one way is less time-consuming than others. You could spend your day talking to insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to quickly compare rates.
Many insurance companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers submit one quote, and each participating company can give them a price based on that information. This eliminates the need for form submissions for each company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).
One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare, we have a page of car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just make darn sure you compare the same quote information for every company. If you enter differing limits it’s impossible to determine which company has the best rates. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can make a big difference in price. Keep in mind that more quotes helps improve the odds of finding the best price. Not every company allows you to get price estimates online, so you should also compare rates from the smaller companies as well.
When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Coverage for medical expenses – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for expenses for things like prosthetic devices, hospital visits, dental work and pain medications. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Auto liability – Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover 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 values of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Another option is a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability insurance covers things such as legal defense fees, emergency aid, court costs and pain and suffering. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive insurance – This coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and hitting a deer. The maximum amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your FIAT 500e.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Usually these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your 500e caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims such as scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car, hitting a mailbox, colliding with a tree and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Jere Hill
Live in the southern part of Rapid City, SD. I got free quotes with Liberty Mutual, AAA, Mercury, and a couple others for my FIAT and saved just over $100 a year. Was with USAA. I get multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts.
Emmanuel Pennington
If you have a clean record and live in the vicinity of Mobile, AL, check out 21st Century. You might save some money. Not sure if rates are cheaper online or through an agent.
Dionne Underwood
Not sure if this is cheap. From northwest of Shreveport, LA. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $50 each month. Insured with Hanover before. It’s easy to compare rates online now.
Mittie Lott
Anyone understand their policy?
Ruth Melendez
Thanks for putting this site together. Proud to be from Rochester, MN. Not sure of all the companies but I ended up saving about $50 each month. Switched homeowners coverage too. I got a quote from their website.
Doretha Simon
It all costs too much. From Wilmington, Delaware. Quoted with Progressive, Erie, and GMAC for my FIAT and saved $234 a year. I even had a DUI years ago.
Latoria Dorsey
Well-written and thought out article. Lifelong resident of Atlanta, Georgia. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $60 each month. Hopefully won’t need it.
Mai Moss
I’m looking for cheaper coverage. Got a quote with MetLife for my 2015 FIAT 500e and saved about $370 a year. Was with The General. I get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles. LOL
Marcellus Farley
Is GEICO or Esurance cheap in Portland, ME?
Francisca Vang
Just a quick comment on my experience. From a town just southwest of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Got prices from Mercury, Erie, 21st Century, and AAA for my FIAT and saved $177 a year.