Have you fallen victim to an overpriced insurance coverage policy? Trust us, you’re not the only one.
You have so many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, having more insurers makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.
All the larger insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive allow you to get coverage prices on the web. Getting online rates is pretty easy as you simply type in your coverage preferences as requested by the quote form. Behind the scenes, their system makes automated requests for credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote. This helps simplify price comparisons, but the work required to visit a lot of sites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it is imperative to do this in order to find better insurance pricing.
A less time-consuming method to find better insurance pricing makes use of a single form to get prices from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending the form, your coverage is rated and you can choose your choice of the quotes returned.
If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process only takes a few minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To get comparison pricing now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you replicate coverages and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This guarantees you will receive a price comparison based on similar coverages.
Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How does each company say the same thing?
All companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t meet the requirements will be charged higher premiums and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.
That is why drivers should quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be asked about before being credited.
A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
Insurance companies that may offer these discounts include:
Double check with each company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your area.
When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether you could use an agent’s help.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Having a good grasp of car insurance aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.
Auto liability insurance – This coverage can cover damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things like bail bonds, funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things like rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and falling objects. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision coverage – This coverage pays for damage to your Optima caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things like crashing into a ditch, sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a parking meter, colliding with a tree and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like ambulance fees, nursing services, rehabilitation expenses, dental work and funeral costs. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Lower-priced 2016 Kia Optima insurance is definitely available 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 companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
We covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price.
More detailed auto insurance information is located in the articles below: