Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other consumers. Companies like Progressive, State Farm and GEICO all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and it is difficult to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can use this information to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Finding the best rates is easy if you know what you’re doing. Drivers just need to understand the proper way to compare price quotes online.
Comparing car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you aren’t aware of the easiest way. You can spend countless hours talking to local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to quickly compare rates.
Most of the best insurance companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and at least one company then gives them pricing for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests for every car insurance company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The only downside to using this type of system is you are unable to specify the providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to receive pricing from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
It’s up to you which method you use, but double check that you are using identical quote information on every quote you get. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to determine the best price for your Buick Enclave.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will bring down your premiums.
For a list of companies offering insurance coverage discounts, click here.
When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not you might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision coverages – This coverage pays for damage to your Enclave resulting from a collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like hitting a bird, hail damage, a broken windshield, damage from a tornado or hurricane and theft. The most your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Liability – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for 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 limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for claims like legal defense fees, pain and suffering, court costs and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses such as pain medications, doctor visits, X-ray expenses and nursing services. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage