If you are new to online car insurance, you can easily be overwhelmed because of the huge number of local and online companies selling insurance.
Consumers need to compare rates before your next renewal due to the fact that insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the best quotes for Escort insurance a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because it’s time to teach you how to quote online to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
The majority of larger companies such as State Farm and Allstate provide coverage prices directly from their websites. Doing online price comparisons doesn’t take a lot of time because it’s just a matter of typing in your required coverages on the page. After you complete the form, their system requests credit information and your driving record and quotes a price based on the data you entered.
Online price estimates makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the work required to visit a lot of sites and type in the same data gets old quite quickly. But it is imperative to have as many quotes as possible if you are searching for the lowest insurance rates.
An easier way to lower your insurance bill makes use of a single form to return rates from several different companies. This type of form saves time, reduces the work, and makes quoting online a little more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the pricing results.
If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. This process only takes a few minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
To compare pricing, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter the coverage information as shown on your current policy. This ensures you will be getting a fair comparison using the exact same coverages.
Not too many consumers would say insurance coverage is affordable, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be inquired about before they will apply.
It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, that’s just not realistic.
A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts are:
If you want affordable auto insurance quotes, ask each insurance company to give you their best rates. Savings might not be offered in your area. To see a list of companies who offer insurance coverage discounts, click this link.
When buying coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Having a good grasp of a insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses like rehabilitation expenses, X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and hospital visits. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Escort resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a building and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane, fire damage and hitting a deer. The maximum payout your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers claims like structural damage, attorney fees, bail bonds, legal defense fees and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Escort.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Most of the time these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests, policy cancellation and even not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, finding the right insurance provider is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Budget-friendly insurance is available online and with local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not provide rates over the internet and many times these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
When you buy auto insurance online, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, drivers have reduced collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional insurance information is available below:
Shea Mccarty
Where is cheaper car insurance? I live north of Lewiston, ME. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $20 each month. When should I drop full coverage?
Santiago Preston
I’m in the west part of Warren, Michigan. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Was with Sentry. I have several vehicles insured with them. Still almost need a second mortgage. Anyone else drop full coverage?
Caron Vasquez
I’ve had 21st Century for years. I’m in Dallas, TX.
Curtis Pate
Does 21st Century do SR22s in South Carolina?
Lavina Brown
Thanks for putting this site together. I live in Grand Rapids, MI. Went online for free insurance quotes for a 1994 Ford Escort. Ended up at about $120 savings annually. Went with Allstate. I get lower rates because of my clean driving record. When should I drop full coverage?
Mirna Curry
I’m looking for cheaper coverage. I’m in the west part of Juneau, AK. Not sure of all the companies but I ended up saving about $20 each month. They have free quotes online.
Corey Levine
In Lincoln, Nebraska, Progressive is a good choice. Insured with Farmers before.
Antonietta Brewer
Affordable car insurance is a myth. Live in Houston, TX. I got free rates from Liberty Mutual, AAA, MetLife, and a couple others for my 1994 Ford Escort and I’m now saving $13 a month. Hardly afford to drive anymore.
Zana Diaz
Hope my car insurance gets cheaper. Proud to be from Reno, NV. I quoted with Allstate, Amica, and Farmers for my Ford and saved just over $70 a year. Even increased coverage a bit. I don’t insure for physical damage though.
Ferne Robbins
I got quite a few price quotes for a 1994 Ford Escort in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ended up at roughly $90 every six months with AIG Insurance. Even increased my liability limits.
Elma Nelson
I’m in the north part of Mesa, Arizona. Received quotes from 21st Century, AAA, and Eastwood for my Ford and saved about $80 a year. Was with Farmers. Even increased coverage a bit. Full coverage costs too much.
Toby Barber
For me, Progressive was by far the cheapest in Denver, CO.
Elayne Gilmore
Will 21st Century raise rates for a small claim?
Emelia Rasmussen
This is too expensive. Got a quote with MetLife for my Escort and am saving around $110 a year. Thankfully I have a good driving record. Book value doesn’t justify full coverage anymore.
Carlos Cunningham
I live in Columbus, Georgia. Can’t remember who all I quoted but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Insured with AAA before. I don’t insure for physical damage though.
Zana Graham
I’m in the north part of Biloxi, MS. Got rates from 21st Century, Eastwood, and Hanover for my Ford and saved about $110 a year. Insured with The General before. I’m a pretty low risk driver.
Socorro Cummings
It’s all a rip off. I’m just south of Biloxi, MS. Compared quite a few companies. Saved about $10 a month. State Farm was the most affordable for me. I increased coverages a little too. :)
Lane Mays
If you have a good history and live near Fairbanks, AK, check out State Farm. I saved quite a bit. Switched homeowners coverage too. I used their online quote form to compare rates.