Being forced to pay for expensive insurance coverage premiums can dry up your personal savings and possibly require postponing other expenditures. Price shopping at each renewal can be a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.
Many insurers vie for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company and get the best coverage at the best rates possible.
Lots of factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but other factors are more obscure like where you live or how safe your car is.
The following are some of the things used by companies to determine prices.
Cutting your insurance coverage rates is an easy way to save money. You just need to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rates to find the company with inexpensive insurance quotes. Price comparisons can be done by using one of the methods below.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using nearly identical quote information on every price quote you get. If you are comparing different coverage information you can’t possibly find the best deal for your Hyundai Elantra.
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price insurance coverage by companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make the point that drivers will save a bundle if you just switch to their company.
How does every insurance coverage company cost less than your current company?
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that will generate a profit. One example of a driver they prefer might be described as over the age of 50, has had continuous coverage, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Anyone who meets those qualifications will get the preferred prices and will probably save money with a new company.
Consumers who are not a match for the ideal profile will be quoted higher prices which results in business not being written. If you pay attention, the ads say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much when switching. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
Because of this risk profiling, you really should compare price quotes frequently. Because you never know which company will have the lowest rates.
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts that can help lower your rates. A few discounts will be applied at quote time, but some must be specially asked for before they will apply.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though the math looks like all those discounts means the company will pay you, insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your policy premium.
A list of companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company or agent how you can save money. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply to policies in every state. If you would like to view insurers with significant discounts, click here.
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight if your situation could use an agent’s help.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with 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’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the usual coverages offered by insurance companies.
Coverage for medical expenses – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses like prosthetic devices, ambulance fees, surgery, rehabilitation expenses and nursing services. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, vandalism and hitting a bird. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Liability car insurance – This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things such as legal defense fees, funeral expenses, court costs, loss of income and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a mailbox and colliding with a tree. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Some insurance companies may not provide online rate quotes and these smaller providers prefer to sell through independent agencies. Cheaper insurance can be bought both online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture.
When buying insurance coverage, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an accident victim reduced full coverage only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Katlyn Rosario
Here’s my quote info. Live in Memphis, TN. Went online for free insurance quotes for a 1996 Hyundai Elantra. Ended up at about $110 savings annually. Went with Progressive. Was with AAA. Thankfully I have a good driving record. I used their website to get prices. Only insure liability on my Elantra.
Lashaunda Hooper
Here’s my quote info. I live just to the east of Eugene, OR. Quoted prices from AIG Insurance, Mercury, and a few others for my Hyundai and saved just over $110 a year. I have a teen driver too. I used their online quote form to compare rates.
Gene Vincent
If you have a clean record and live near South Burlington, Vermont, check out State Farm. You might get cheaper rates. Insured with Amica before. I’m a pretty low risk driver. They offer free online rate quotes. I’m thinking about dropping full coverage though.
Bert Carey
Found cheapest coverage with AAA for my Elantra and saved about $80 a year. Only insure liability on my Elantra.
Lynne Dejesus
Thanks for putting this site together. Located in Des Moines, IA. Got quotes from AIG Insurance, Farmers, and MetLife for my Hyundai and I think I saved around $20 each month. Hardly afford to drive anymore.
Vanita Battle
Nice post. From northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. Checked online prices for a 1996 Hyundai Elantra. Ended up at about $100 savings annually. Went with 21st Century. Insured with Auto-Owners before. I even had a DUI years ago.
Danilo Delgado
I live in a small town just outside of Newark, New Jersey. Compared quite a few companies. Saved about $30 a month. 21st Century was the cheapest option for me. :P Full coverage costs too much.
Antionette Walls
Anyone know of any company in Davenport, Iowa that will insure high risk drivers?
Susanna Vance
I’m in Idaho Falls, ID and need high risk coverage. Help!
Helena Lawrence
Lifelong resident of Memphis, TN. Quoted with AIG Insurance, Sentry, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my 1996 Hyundai Elantra and saved $89 a year. Left Erie to switch. Anyone else drop full coverage?