Getting lower-cost insurance coverage online is intimidating for consumers new to price shopping on the web. With so many insurance agents and insurers to choose from, how can anyone have time to compare the different rates to find cheaper insurance coverage prices?
Multiple criteria are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable such as traffic violations, although others are more transparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.
The list below includes a few of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set rates.
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but once in a while a discount must be inquired about in order for you to get them.
As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
A partial list of companies that may offer most of the discounts above include:
Before buying, ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. A few discounts might not be offered in your area. To see insurers who offer free car insurance quotes, click this link.
Well-known insurance companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to make the point about how much you will save if you switch to their company. How is it possible that every company can save you money?
Insurance companies have specific guidelines for the right customer that will not have excessive claims. For example, a profitable insured should be between the ages of 30 and 50, has a clean driving record, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any customer that matches those criteria will get low premium rates as well as save when they switch companies.
Insureds who are not a match for the ideal profile must pay higher premium rates and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save the amount stated. That is how companies can truthfully claim big savings. Each company has different criteria, so you really should get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will have the best car insurance rates.
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.
For example, these questions might point out if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Knowing the specifics of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Liability coverage
This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, 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 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability can pay for claims like funeral expenses, bail bonds, repair costs for stationary objects and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
Collision coverage protection
This covers damage to your Silverado 1500 resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims like scraping a guard rail, sustaining damage from a pot hole, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, vandalism, damage from flooding and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills like nursing services, chiropractic care, surgery and hospital visits. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
As you shop your coverage around, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.
We just covered quite a bit of information on how to compare 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.
Cost effective 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 insurance can be purchased from both online companies and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not have online quoting and many times these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.