Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced insurance coverage policy? Trust us when we tell you you’re not alone.
Online insurance companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm promote their brand names with advertising and consumers find it hard to ignore the promise of big savings and find the best price available.
Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.
A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.
For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates, click here to view.
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Car insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to have a common claim that you’ll save big after switching to them. How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has great credit. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged more money which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do.
That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest Chevy Astro insurance rates.
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.
This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Astro from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things like crashing into a building, driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for things such as legal defense fees, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for immediate expenses like X-ray expenses, hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses and dental work. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hitting a bird, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects, damage from getting keyed and hitting a deer. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
You just read a lot of ways to shop for 1995 Chevy Astro insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
The cheapest insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance coverage companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
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