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Online Auto Insurance Highlights the Importance of Comparison Shopping
Completing a comparison of various car insurance carriers is a vital step to finding affordable rates.
Online PR News – 10-May-2010 – Comparing quotations from multiple companies is one of the most effective ways to find the best deal on automobile coverage and taking the time to compare rates from various insurers can lead to big savings. With so many providers that are licensed in a given area, completing quote comparisons is an important step to finding the most affordable premiums.
OnlineAutoInsurance.com strongly encourages motorists to complete an auto insurance quotes comparison in order to help ensure that the lowest rate is found from a reputable company. Consumers should be aware that each carrier has different pricing and each applicant will pay a different amount for the same coverage based on various factors. Therefore, no single insurer can be cheapest for all drivers and the consumer must take the time to seek out the best price for them particularly; a recent study showed that premiums can differ up to 200% for the same product.
Comparing rates is also advised by government consumer guides. A consumer’s guide provided by the Maine Bureau of Insurance states, “Comparison shopping takes time but it will save you money. The only way you can make sure you are not paying too much is to shop around and find out what different companies charge for the same products and services.”
Source: http://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/consumer/auto.htm
Although it does take some time to complete an effective comparison it is well worth it and may be done quicker online; many insurers offer rate quotes on their websites and a comparison website can offer quotations from several companies to compare from.
10 Tips: Ways to save on car insurance
10 Tips: Ways to save on car insurance
Like many people, you may have established the nitty-gritty details of your auto insurance policy years ago. If you were to be given a pop quiz about, say, the amount of your deductible or the particulars of your collision coverage, would you pass it? If you’re not sure, it may be high time to refresh your memory about your policy. Devoting about an hour or so to such a review could save you money in the long term.
1Your credit score is important. Insurers care about your bill-paying history, and most will review your credit report. If anything looks dicey, you almost certainly will pay more on premiums. To review your credit report for any errors, or to get a glimpse of what insurers will see, order free annual reports from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com or calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228. Hold off on buying auto insurance for a month or so if you have any unusual credit activity pending.
2Ask for higher deductibles. The deductible is the money you have to pay before your insurance policy comes to the rescue. By bumping your deductible up from $200 to $500, you could lower the cost of your collision and comprehensive coverage by 15 to 30 percent. By increasing it to $1,000, you could decrease that cost by at least 40 percent.
3Don’t pay for coverage that won’t help. If you have an older car or a car with low market value, consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage. These cover the vehicle’s replacement value and they can total 40 percent of your premium. They often are not worth it for older cars because any claim payment you’d get likely wouldn’t exceed the cost of your insurance premiums and deductible. To check your car’s value, visit Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) and Edmunds.com (www.edmunds.com).
4Opt for a low-profile car. It costs more to insure a vehicle that’s popular with thieves, expensive to repair or doesn’t have a great safety record. For vehicles’ risk levels, visit this section of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s website: www.iihs.org/brochures/ictl/ictl.html#older. Near the bottom of that page, click on the “insurance losses by make and model” link; then click on “latest results” for data about 2006-08 models, or select a year span to research older models.
5Don’t duplicate medical coverage. If you have good health, life and disability insurance, buy only the minimum personal injury protection (PIP) required by the state. (In Florida, you must carry a minimum of $10,000 of PIP.)
6Are you driving less? If you’re no longer driving to work or if you have started carpooling, pay attention to your average mileage. Many insurers offer “low-mileage discounts” to policyholders who carpool to work or drive a lower-than-average number of miles each year.
7Safety gear can make a difference. It’s often possible to qualify for discounts if you have air bags, automatic seat belts, antilock brakes and daytime running lights. An approved alarm system or other antitheft device can give you additional savings. So can evidence that you’ve made yourself a safer driver by taking a defensive-driving class.
8Pursue discounts for teens. Insure teenagers on the parents’ policy rather than a separate policy. Teens who maintain good grades and pass an approved drivers’ education course usually can qualify for reduced rates. Another discount may be available if your child goes to college more than 100 miles from home and doesn’t take a car along.
9Use one carrier for all your policies. You often will save money if you insure all your vehicles, including recreational vehicles and trailers, with one carrier. Your car premium also may go down if you buy homeowners or life insurance from the same company. And if you’re a longtime customer, call and find out if there are “loyalty discounts.”
10Inquire about other discounts. You may be able to pay less if you’re older than 50 or 55; if you’ve had no accidents or moving violations in three years; or if you pay your premiums in full up front to avoid installment fees. While checking on possible discounts, call other insurers to compare rates.
Laura T. Coffey can be reached at laura@ tentips.org.
Sources: Insurance Information Institute; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; MSN Money; SmartMoney.com
Best Car Insurance Quotes
Best Car Insurance Quotes
The internet has made it much easier for consumers to find car insurance quotes than ever before. However, it’s now become tough to tell which car insurance quotes are the best, which correspond to fair and reliable plans and which ones are suspect.
There are many different places and websites that offer car insurance quotes for consumers in just a few seconds. In the United States, sites such as esurance have been developed for just this purpose. However, it’s always best to check out every company also just to be sure that you are getting the best car insurance quotes for your car insurance.
There are many different companies that pour loads of dollars into getting people to believe they have the best car insurance quotes on the market. In the United States, some of the largest car insurance providers include Geico, Progressive, and Allstate. Television viewers will note that all of these companies put lots of money into building their brand reputation through huge commercial campaigns.
However, there are other ways to obtain car insurance quotes from entities such as credit unions and banks. When it comes to getting car insurance, it’s best to try to take your time get a number of different quotes from a variety of different sources, weigh your options, and then decide which plan is best for you.
