2004 Pontiac Sunfire Car Insurance Quotes – 6 Ideas for Cheaper Rates

Nobody likes paying for insurance, especially when they are paying too much.

Multiple insurance companies compete for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers and get the best coverage at the lowest price

You should make it a habit to check insurance prices yearly due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest rates on Sunfire insurance a year ago there may be better deals available now. So forget all the misinformation about insurance because I’m going to teach you the proper way to save on insurance.

Free Quotes for Car Insurance

There are a lot of ways you can shop for car insurance but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You can waste hours driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to get prices fast.

Many popular insurance companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers submit one quote, and at least one company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to every company. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify which carriers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to make an equal comparison. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits may result in large price differences. Just keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.

Discounts are basically free money

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but some must be specially asked for before you get the savings.

  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% on Sunfire insurance with select insurance companies.
  • Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on car insurance on Sunfire insurance.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
  • Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.

Insurance companies that may offer these money-saving discounts are:

Before buying, ask each company how you can save money. Some discounts might not be offered in your state.

Which insurance is the “right” coverage?

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
  • How can I force my company to pay a claim?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • When should I not file a claim?
  • Should I carry comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may 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 insurance coverage companies in your area.

Is there deception in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you change to them. How do they all claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who fall outside the requirements will be quoted higher premiums and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why companies can truthfully state the savings.

This emphasizes why it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which car insurance company will have the lowest Pontiac Sunfire insurance rates.

Insurance policy coverages for a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire

Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage pays for 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 coverage protects against things such as rock chips in glass, vandalism and fire damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability

This protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers things like court costs, structural damage, medical expenses, funeral expenses and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Coverage for medical expenses

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for expenses like EMT expenses, funeral costs, doctor visits, pain medications and hospital visits. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision insurance

This coverage covers damage to your Sunfire resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things like driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Never pay more for less

We just covered quite a bit of information on how to lower your 2004 Pontiac Sunfire insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

The cheapest insurance is possible on the web as well as from independent agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

For more information, take a look at the resources below: