You have many choices when comparing insurance rates on your vehicle. You can buy direct from an agent or get quotes online to compare rates from a lot of car insurance companies. Shopping for car insurance through online companies saves time, is easy to do, in addition you can save money.

Comparing car insurance rates direct online can be complicated if you are a beginner to quoting online. But relax because it's actually quite easy. There are several ways of comparing rates from car insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to compare consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done by comparing rates here.

Criteria which help determine car insurance premiums

Car insurance premiums paid to insure a 2008 can be significantly different and are calculated by many factors. A few of these criteria are:

• High performance increases premiums
• How many accidents you have had
• Whether you insure your home with the same company
• How you use your vehicle
• Your birth date
• Whether you are married
• Optional coverages like vehicle replacement
• Your occupation
• The amount of protection requested
• Owning a home can lower rates

An additional factor that will help determine is the year of the vehicle. Older cars and trucks have a much lower replacement value than newer models so the costs to repair may end up costing you less. But newer vehicles may have safety features including anti-lock brakes, adaptive headlights, blind-spot warning system, and a backup camera that may help lower rates.

Coverage for liability - This can cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. Liability coverage protects against claims such as funeral expenses, loss of income, and emergency aid. It is cheap coverage so you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Collision coverages - Collision coverage covers damage to your from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) - This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it's not worth much more than your deductible it's probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage - This coverage protects you and your vehicle's occupants when the "other guys" either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Insurance for medical payments - Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills such as ambulance fees, surgery, and doctor visits. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay.