Are you a victim of overpriced auto insurance? Believe me, you’re not the only one. Insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance increase brand awareness with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t understand the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to agents in your area, or you can utilize online quoting for quick rates.
Many of the larger companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each participating company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote requests for each company you want a rate for.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The one downside to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose which carriers you want to price. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to compare, we put together a list of car insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using apples-to-apples coverages on every quote. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison.
Car insurance is expensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts will apply at the time of purchase, but some need to be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
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 liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce your car insurance premiums.
A list of companies and their offered discounts can be read below.
Before buying, ask each insurance company the best way to save money. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policyholders in your area.
When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages available from insurance companies.
Collision coverage covers damage to your Malibu caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as medical services, pain and suffering and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Chevy Malibu.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, fire damage, vandalism, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for immediate expenses like nursing services, surgery, prosthetic devices, ambulance fees and doctor visits. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, but do not skimp to save money.
You just read some good ideas how you can lower your 2012 Chevy Malibu insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
More detailed auto insurance information can be read at these sites: