Are you a victim of an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, you are not alone. With so many choices, it can be challenging to choose the best insurer.
It’s important to take a look at other company’s rates quite often since rates change frequently. Just because you had the best price six months ago other companies may now be cheaper. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to learn the right way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance prices but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You could waste time talking to local insurance agents in your area, or you could use online quotes to get the quickest rates.
The majority of car insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each participating company can give them a price for coverage. This eliminates the need for form submissions for each company.
To participate in this free quote system, click to open in new window.
The only downside to pricing coverage this way is that consumers can’t choose the providers you will receive quotes from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click to view list.
However you get your quotes, make sure you use apples-to-apples coverage information with every price quote. If you are comparing different liability limits then you won’t be able to determine the best price for your Ford F150 Pickup. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes gives you a better chance the best offered rates.
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate your rates.
Your occupation can affect rates – Occupations like lawyers, architects and stock brokers have the highest rates due to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, professions such as actors, students and the unemployed get better rates.
What are your deductibles? – Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your Ford from damage. A few examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, vandalism, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance lapse. Not only will you pay more, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state DMV.
Small claims can cost you – Insurance companies provide discounts to insureds who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before being credited.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.
Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the ads say the same thing about savings if you move your coverage to them. But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as a mature driver, a clean driving record, and chooses high F-150 deductibles. Any new insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.
Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile will be charged higher prices which usually ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully state the savings.
That is why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It is impossible to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.
We’ve covered a lot of ways to get a better price on insurance for a F-150. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. These companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.
Affordable Ford F150 Pickup insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best prices to choose from. Independent insurance agents work with many regional insurance providers that don’t always offer the ability to get a quote online.