Have you fallen victim to an underperforming, overpriced insurance coverage policy? Believe me, there are many people just like you.
Because you have many insurance providers from which to choose, it can be challenging to choose the cheapest company.
Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Although drivers do need to understand how the larger insurance companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
Insurance companies that possibly offer these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:
Double check with each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts may not be available in your state.
When it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Collision – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things like colliding with another moving vehicle, driving through your garage door, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a building. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for liability – Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits 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 a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things such as pain and suffering, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive auto coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as falling objects, damage from flooding, rock chips in glass and fire damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Escape.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses like pain medications, chiropractic care and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Lower-priced 2002 Ford Escape insurance can be bought on the web in addition to many insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
We just covered a lot of techniques to shop for insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.
Additional insurance coverage information can be read on the following sites: