Lower Your 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Insurance Rates

Did you come to the realization that you have an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say you’re not the only one.

There is such a variety of car insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to adequately compare rates.

You should make it a habit to take a look at other company’s rates as often as possible because prices change regularly. Even if you got the best price on Sierra coverage a few years ago you can probably find a better rate quote now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the best way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Buying affordable protection can be fairly easy. Essentially every driver who is required by state law to have auto insurance will most likely be able to find lower rates. But consumers need to learn how big insurance companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.

Why your insurance premiums might be higher

It’s important that you understand some of the things that help determine the price you pay for insurance coverage. If you understand what influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings. Multiple criteria are used when you get your auto insurance bill. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, although some other factors are less apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.

The factors shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine your rate level.

• Avoid tickets and save – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even one speeding ticket or other violation can increase the cost of insurance by as much as twenty percent. Drivers who get dangerous tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s licensing department in order to legally drive.
• Liability is peace of mind – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will protect you when you are found to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. This coverage provides legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
• Drive fewer miles and save – The more you drive your GMC in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage get more affordable rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Improper usage on your Sierra 1500 may be costing you. It’s a good idea to make sure your insurance coverage policy is showing the correct usage, because it can save money.
• Raise your coverage deductibles for better rates – Your deductibles are the amount of money the insured will be required to pay in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and damage caused by road hazards. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance on Sierra coverage.
• Improve your credit rating – Credit score will be a significant factor in determining your rates. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 by improving your credit score. People that have excellent credit scores tend to be better risks to insure than drivers with poor credit scores.
• Deter vehicle theft – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all hinder auto theft and help lower rates.

Earn discounts to get lower-cost auto insurance quotes

Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list their entire list of discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the next list breaks down a few of the more well known and also the more inconspicuous discounts that you can inquire about if you buy insurance online.

• Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can get you a discount because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
• Claim-Free Discount – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts in comparison to bad drivers.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Teen drivers should enroll and complete driver’s education as it can save substantially.
• Buy New and Save – Buying a new car instead of a used car can save up to 30% because newer vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can stop better under adverse conditions and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles may enable drivers to earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
• Discounts for Good Drivers – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less on Sierra coverage as compared to drivers with claims.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts should definitely cut the cost of coverage.

Large auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.

• Esurance discounts include multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, paid-in-full, online quote, emergency road assistance, and safety device.
• The Hartford may have discounts that include driver training, vehicle fuel type, bundle, good student, and anti-theft.
• AAA may offer discounts for pay-in-full, anti-theft, education and occupation, multi-policy, multi-car, and good student.
• Geico includes discounts for multi-policy, seat belt use, military active duty, air bags, good student, anti-theft, and daytime running lights.
• State Farm may include discounts for good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, passive restraint, anti-theft, good student, and driver’s education.

It’s a good idea to ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply everywhere. For a list of insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here.

Do drivers who switch really save $481 a year?

Popular auto insurance providers such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the ads advertise the message that people will save just by switching to their company. How can each company give you a lower rate? Just pay attention to how they say it.

Different companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer they prefer to insure. An example of a desirable insured might have to be a female over age 40, owns a home, and has great credit. Any driver who matches that profile will get very good rates and will also cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who do not match these criteria will be quoted a higher rate which translates to business not being written. The trick is to say “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. That is how insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

Because of these techniques, it is so important to compare free insurance quotes often. It is impossible to guess which company will be your best fit.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying coverage, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you will benefit from professional help.

• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
• How much can I save by bundling my policies?
• Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Why am I required to buy liability insurance?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Insurance coverages 101

Understanding the coverages of insurance can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses like dental work, EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses and hospital visits. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Coverage for liability

This will cover damage that occurs to people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds, court costs and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as damage from flooding, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, falling objects and fire damage. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage

This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your GMC Sierra 1500.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Collision coverage

This will pay to fix damage to your Sierra 1500 resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, backing into a parked car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Final thoughts

When getting insurance quotes online, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to find out they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

We just showed you many ways to compare 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better likelihood of getting affordable insurance. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. These smaller insurers often have lower car insurance rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

Affordable 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 insurance can be sourced online and with local insurance agents, so get free insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies may not have the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.

More tips and info about insurance coverage can be found in the articles below:

• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a GMC Sierra in Aurora? (InsuranceAurora.com)
• Driving in Bad Weather (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)