You have many choices when insurance shopping for your vehicle. You can buy direct from an agent or get quotes online to compare pricing from car insurance companies. Buying car insurance from online rate quotes saves time, is easy to do, in addition you can save money.

Shopping online for car insurance can be complicated if you are a beginner to online quotes. Don't let that stop you because it's actually quite easy. There are several ways to compare rate quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way to find the lowest is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done by visiting this page.

Criteria which help determine your insurance rates

Car insurance premiums for your 2009 can vary widely and are calculated by many factors. A few of these criteria are:

• High performance increases premiums
• Any accidents you may have
• Multiple policies can save money
• Pleasure, commuting or business use can affect rates
• Optional coverages like vehicle replacement
• Your occupation
• The amount of protection requested
• Owning a home can lower rates

An additional factor that helps determine is the year of the vehicle. Older models have a much lower replacement value than newer models so the payout to repair may end up costing you less. But new models may have safety features including an advanced theft deterrent system, adaptive cruise control, active head restraints, and a telematics system which can provide discounts that lower premiums.

Liability insurance - This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other's property or people in an accident. Liability coverage pays for claims such as funeral expenses, loss of income, and emergency aid. It is cheap coverage so you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision - Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive protection - Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix 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 maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage - This coverage gives you protection when the "other guys" either have no liability insurance or not enough. Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn't take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Medical expense coverage - Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills such as ambulance fees, surgery, and doctor visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage.