If you are a novice to online insurance shopping, it’s easy to get confused by the crazy number local agents and online companies offering insurance.
Most companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive give coverage price quotes direct online. Comparing rates online is pretty painless because you just enter your coverage information into a form. When the form is submitted, the system automatically retrieves your driving and credit reports and returns a price based on the data you entered.
Online price estimates makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit different websites and complete many quote forms is a big time waster. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this if you are searching for the best price possible.
There is a better way to compare rates
The quickest way to lower your rates uses one simple form that gets prices from many companies. This type of form saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes online price comparison much more efficient. After sending your information, it is quoted and you can choose any of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The entire process only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.
To compare rates now, click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate your coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This guarantees you will have a price comparison for the exact same coverage.
Well-known insurance companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all make an identical promise about saving some big amount if you get a free car insurance quote and switch your coverage to them. Is it even possible that every company can charge you a lower premium? This is how they do it.
All the different companies quote their cheapest rates for a prospective insured that earns them the most money. For example, a desirable insured may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and drives a safe vehicle. Someone who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and will also save if they switch.
People who do not fit these stringent criteria will be charged higher rates and this results in the customer not purchasing. Company advertisements say “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can advertise the savings. Different companies use different criteria so it is so important to compare rate quotes every year. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
Not many people think insurance is cheap, but you might already qualify for some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some of these disounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but some need to be manually applied before being credited. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.
As is typical with insurance, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
A list of insurance coverage companies and their possible discounts are shown below.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each company or agent which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts listed above may not be offered everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of providers with discount insurance coverage rates, click here.
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.
Insurance for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills for prosthetic devices, ambulance fees and surgery. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability coverage
This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.
Liability can pay for things such as pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Collision protection
This will pay to fix damage to your Tiguan caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed and fire damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Lower-priced auto insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer rate quotes online and usually these smaller companies work with independent insurance agencies.
People change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as being labeled a high risk driver, not issuing a premium refund, poor customer service and even policy non-renewal. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching companies can be less work than you think.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price and still be able to protect your assets.
Even more information is located by following these links:
Ferne Roth
Too expensive. I ride a bike.
Geralyn Quinn
I found pretty cheap rate quotes for a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan in Evansville, IN. Ended up at about $320 every six months with American Family. Left The General to switch. Have an at-fault accident tho. Might find lower rates online.
Taisha Joyce
Cheap is not always the best policy. I live west of Honolulu, HI. I got free quotes with Auto-Owners, Mercury, and a few others for my 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan and I think I am saving around $60 each month. I used their website to get prices.
Wilda Crawford
I can’t pay high rates. Checking in from Augusta, GA. I don’t recall every quote but I ended up saving about $30 each month. Was with Safeco. BTW speeding tickets are not good. :)
Corey Griffith
I can’t pay high rates. From northwest of Baton Rouge, LA. I got free prices from Allstate, AIG Insurance, and some I forget for my 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan and I think I am saving around $70 each month. Have an at-fault accident tho.
Lane Mccall
Good detail in your article. Found cheapest coverage with Liberty Mutual for my 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan and saved about $110 a year. Was with Safeco. I increased coverages a little too.
Pura Hale
Lots of good stuff here. I’m from Anchorage, Alaska. I got free quotes with State Farm, Amica, and Esurance for my Tiguan and saved $186 a year. Insured with Allstate before. I get lower rates because of my clean driving record.
Abe Bright
Anyone understand their policy?
Virgen Dyer
From northwest of Grand Rapids, MI. I compared lots of rates. Saved darn near $30 a month. Progressive was the cheapest for me. I have kids on my policy, too. They offer free online rate quotes.
Eun Church
Not sure what I should be paying. I live west of Honolulu, HI. Don’t remember every company but I ended up saving about $30 each month. :P
Lila Stephens
Is a custom audio system covered by insurance?