Cheaper 2009 Ford Focus Insurance Cost

I really doubt anyone looks forward to buying insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much.

Many auto insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers and uncover the absolute best price available.

It’s a good idea to do price comparisons as often as possible because rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you found the best premium rates for Focus insurance a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about insurance because we’re going to show you the best methods to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

How your Focus insurance prices are determined

One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance coverage is to to have a grasp of a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating your insurance coverage rates. When you know what positively or negatively positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that can help you get better insurance coverage rates. Lots of factors are used when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but other criteria are more obscure such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.

• How’s your driving record? – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better prices compared to bad drivers. Only having one speeding ticket or other violation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with license-revoking citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions might be required by their state to complete a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
• Save by driving safer vehicles – Cars with five star safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Vehicles built for safety have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates. If your Ford Focus earned at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may qualify for a discount.
• Prices and your address – Choosing to live in less populated areas of the country has definite advantages when insuring your vehicles. Residents of big cities regularly have more traffic problems and longer commutes to work. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident in addition to fewer liability claims.
• Don’t cut corners with liability protection – The liability coverage on your policy provides coverage in the event that you are ruled to be at fault for an accident. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.

Cheaper insurance coverage rates with discounts

Insurance coverage is neither fun to buy or cheap, but there may be some discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but once in a while a discount must be specially asked for before being credited.

• Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
• Discount for Multiple Policies – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Professional Memberships – Having an affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could earn you a nice discount when getting a car insurance quote.
• Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car instead of a used car can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for newer models.
• Defensive Driver – Completing a safe driver class could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
• Online Discount – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks shop car insurance on the web.

Remember that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, that’s just not realistic.

Large insurance coverage companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.

• Mercury Insurance has savings for low natural disaster claims, accident-free, anti-theft, multi-policy, ease of repair, and good student.
• Farmers Insurance may include discounts for pay in full, good student, alternative fuel, homeowner, switch companies, bundle discounts, and electronic funds transfer.
• Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, renewal discount, 55 and retired, driver training, and safe driver.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including passive restraint, accident-free, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, and defensive driving training.
• Allstate offers discounts for utility vehicle, early signing, anti-theft, FullPay discount, senior citizen, teenSMART discount, and resident student.
• Geico may have discounts that include five-year accident-free, anti-theft, membership and employees, air bags, multi-policy, and seat belt use.

Double check with all the companies which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts may not apply in your area. To see companies that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here to view.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can aid in determining if you may require specific advice.

• Is extra glass coverage worth it?
• Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
• Does coverage extend to my business vehicle?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
• Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Parts of your car insurance policy

Having a good grasp of car insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.

Medical expense coverage

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for things like X-ray expenses, pain medications, prosthetic devices and doctor visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive protection

This coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from getting keyed, fire damage, damage from flooding, hail damage and hitting a bird. The maximum payout 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 it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision insurance

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Focus resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, driving through your garage door, sideswiping another vehicle and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability car insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for claims like medical expenses, bail bonds, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Ford Focus.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Be a money saver!

As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Some insurance companies may not provide rates over the internet and usually these small insurance companies only sell through local independent agencies. Lower-priced 2009 Ford Focus insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.

Additional information can be read below:

• Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)
• A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)