Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse.
With so many insurance companies to choose from, it can be hard to pick the right company.
Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but some must be manually applied before you get the savings.
Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.
Car insurance companies that may offer these benefits may include but are not limited to:
Check with every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not apply in your state.
When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions might help in determining whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with 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.
Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Nissan Cube.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as theft, hail damage and vandalism. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for things such as medical expenses, funeral expenses, legal defense fees, emergency aid and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills like surgery, hospital visits, doctor visits, pain medications and nursing services. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Collision coverage pays for damage to your Cube caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims such as crashing into a building, rolling your car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
We just presented a lot of techniques to save on 2013 Nissan Cube insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
The cheapest insurance can be bought both online and with local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Additional insurance information can be read at these links: