Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Because there are so many options, it is very difficult to pick the most cost effective insurer.
Most major insurance companies allow you to get prices on their websites. Getting quotes is pretty easy as you just enter your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company’s rating system will order information on your driving record and credit history and generates pricing information based on many factors. This makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit a lot of sites and type in the same information gets old quite quickly. But it is imperative to perform this step if you are searching for the lowest price.
The quickest way to find better insurance pricing uses one form that gets price quotes from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes price shopping online a lot less work. After sending the form, it is quoted and you can select any of the resulting price quotes.
If the quotes result in lower rates, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and may result in a nice savings.
To find out how much you can save on insurance, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. This ensures you will have a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.
To see a list of insurers offering insurance discounts, click this link.
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in better insurance rates.
Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as State Farm and Allstate. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you change your policy.
How do they all make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. Any driver who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.
Drivers who do not match these standards must pay higher prices and this can result in business not being written. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
This illustrates why you should get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing 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. Listed below are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills like doctor visits, funeral costs, rehabilitation expenses and chiropractic care. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision coverage protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Sierra 3500HD caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability auto insurance
This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for claims like medical services, court costs, emergency aid and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as hitting a bird, falling objects and a broken windshield. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
We just showed you some good ideas how to save on 2015 GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
Additional detailed information can be read at these sites: