Tired of paying out the nose to buy car insurance? You’re in the same situation as the majority of other car owners.
Because you have many insurance providers from which to choose, it’s difficult to locate the most affordable company.
It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating your insurance coverage rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
The best way we recommend to compare car insurance rates is to take advantage of the fact almost all companies allow for online access to quote your coverage. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is give the companies some data such as coverage limits, if it has an anti-theft system, what your job is, and whether you have decent credit. That rating information is submitted instantly to all major companies and they return quotes very quickly.
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will help reduce your premiums.
Car insurance companies who might offer some of the above discounts may include but are not limited to:
Double check with all companies you are considering what discounts are available to you. Discounts might not be offered in your state.
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can help discover if you would benefit from professional advice.
If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive auto coverage – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as fire damage, rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and vandalism. The most your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverages – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims such as damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for expenses like pain medications, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and hospital visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Nissan Sentra.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Coverage for liability – Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against claims like structural damage, medical expenses and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
We covered many ideas to get a better price on 2004 Nissan Sentra insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Budget-conscious insurance can be purchased both online in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.