Save on 2004 Ford Econoline Wagon Car Insurance Cost

Trying to find cheaper insurance coverage rates for your Ford Econoline Wagon? Nobody looks forward to buying insurance coverage, particularly when they are paying too much. Online insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance constantly blast consumers with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

Factors determining your Ford Econoline Wagon insurance premium

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the factors companies use to determine prices.

  • Your location affects your rates – Choosing to live in a small town can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. Drivers in populated areas have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Even one moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. If you have dangerous violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your car insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and term life insurance are some examples. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
  • Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with your state DMV.
  • Discounts for multiple policies – Many companies provide better rates to people who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money.
  • Older drivers pay less – Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers have a tendency to get distracted easily when behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up – Auto insurance companies award cheaper rates to drivers who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Car insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
  • Do you know you’re credit rating? – Your credit score is a important factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. So if your credit is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your 2004 Ford Econoline Wagon by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with poor credit.

Comprehensive Insurance Coverage Comparison

Lowering your 2004 Ford Econoline Wagon insurance coverage rates can be quick and easy. Just spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rates provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  • The recommended way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate quote forms to each individual insurance coverage company. Filling out one form will get you price quotes from many national carriers.
  • A more difficult way to find lower rates consists of going to each individual company website and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want to compare rates from Allstate, 21st Century and GEICO. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
  • The hardest method to compare rates is to waste gas driving to and from local insurance agencies. Shopping for insurance coverage online makes this process obsolete unless you require the personal advice only provided by licensed agents. It is possible to price shop online and get advice from an agent in your area.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use identical coverages and limits on every quote. If your comparisons have different values for each quote it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best.

Beware of misleading insurance coverage ads

Consumers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. They all say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Consumers who fall outside these standards will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Car insurance can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
  • Paperwork-free – A few companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application on their website.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
  • Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
  • Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer insurance coverage discounts, click here to view.

When might I need an agent?

When buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether or not you could use an agent’s help.

  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
  • What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
  • Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Auto insurance 101

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability coverage

This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for claims like medical services, attorney fees, legal defense fees, structural damage and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like EMT expenses, funeral costs, ambulance fees, surgery and dental work. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan 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 coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Econoline Wagon resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, theft, vandalism and hitting a deer. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Save for a rainy day

Lower-priced 2004 Ford Econoline Wagon insurance is available online as well as from independent agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. A few companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to reduce insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest priced insurance comes from some of the smallest insurance companies. They can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.

Even more information is located at these sites: