Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced insurance coverage policy? Believe me when I say many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out. Many insurers compete for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute lowest rate
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that go into determining insurance coverage rates. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be requested specifically before being credited. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
For a list of companies who offer insurance coverage discounts, click this link.
When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Chevy Lumina Minivan.
Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for expenses for things like dental work, prosthetic devices, doctor visits, pain medications and chiropractic care. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Liability insurance – This coverage can cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use a combined limit which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability insurance covers things like attorney fees, legal defense fees and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Collision – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive coverage – This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as hail damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield, falling objects and rock chips in glass. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
When buying insurance coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, an insured dropped collision coverage to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best price.
Budget-conscious 1996 Chevy Lumina Minivan insurance is available on the web in addition to many insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not provide online quoting and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.