Confused by the sheer number of insurance choices? Many other drivers are as well. Vehicle owners have such a large number of options that it can quickly become a burden to find better insurance rates.
Buying the cheapest car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, everyone who is required by state law to have car insurance will most likely be able to lower their premiums. But car owners do need to know how insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
Car insurance is not cheap, but you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are just wasting money.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts are:
If you need cheaper car insurance quotes, ask each insurance company what discounts are available to you. A few discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area.
Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to tend to make the same promise that people will save if you move to them. Is it even possible that every company can offer you a better deal? Here is how they do it.
All companies provide the lowest rates for the type of insured that earns them the highest profit. For instance, a profitable insured should be over the age of 35, has a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Anyone that fits those parameters receives the best rates and therefore will save when switching.
Consumers who cannot meet the ideal profile will see more expensive rates which leads to business not being written. If you listen closely, the ads state “people that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can make it sound like they have such great prices.
This emphasizes why it is so important to compare as many free car insurance quotes as you can. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance companies will be your best fit.
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique.
These are some specific questions might point out whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as rock chips in glass, a broken windshield, fire damage and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Auto liability insurance
Liability coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims like funeral expenses, bail bonds, attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for doctor visits, EMT expenses, hospital visits, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision insurance
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your TrailBlazer 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 hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Chevy TrailBlazer.
Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.
A few companies may not offer rate quotes online and usually these smaller providers work with independent insurance agents. Cheaper 2008 Chevy TrailBlazer insurance can be bought from both online companies and from local insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis.
Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, poor customer service, lack of trust in their agent or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is not as hard as you think.
Much more information about insurance is located at these links: