Nobody looks forward to paying premiums for auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Multiple car insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer and uncover the absolute lowest rate possible.
If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can use these techniques to get lower rates while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance is easy if you know what you’re doing. Drivers only need to know the most effective way to find the lowest price on the web.
There are a variety of methods to shop for insurance, but there is one way that is more efficient than others. You could waste time talking about coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use online quotes to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers submit one quote, and each participating company returns a competitive quote. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions to every company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here (opens in new window).
One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies you want to price. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare, we have a page of low cost insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just make sure you compare equivalent coverage data for every quote you compare. If you are comparing different values for each quote then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best.
Some providers don’t always publicize every disount available very clearly, so the following list contains some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous ways to save on auto insurance. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you are not getting the best rate possible.
We need to note that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic.
The best auto insurance companies and their offered discounts can be read below.
If you need inexpensive auto insurance quotes, ask each company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not apply in your area. To choose insurers who offer free auto insurance quotes, follow this link.
When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions could help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.
If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.
Having a good grasp of your insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for bills such as dental work, chiropractic care, X-ray expenses and EMT expenses. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
This covers damage to your Sierra 2500HD 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 hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your GMC Sierra 2500HD.
Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see values of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage protects against things such as medical expenses, structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed, hitting a deer, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.