Suzuki Sidekick Insurance – 6 Discounts Drivers are Missing

Expensive auto insurance can dwindle your checking account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparison shopping is a great way to lower your monthly bill.

Lots of auto insurance companies contend for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer to discover the definitive best price available.

You need to price shop coverage at least once a year because rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the best price on Sidekick coverage on your last policy there may be better deals available now. Starting now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the quickest way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Finding the best rates is not rocket science. But car owners do need to learn how big insurance companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Car insurance companies don’t list every available discount very well, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

• Defensive Driver – Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
• Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles on your Suzuki can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks with the same company qualifies for this discount.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

For a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts, follow this link.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
• Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
• Am I getting all the discounts available?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?

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 an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

A small number of people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the best rates and still choose a local agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent.

Selecting an provider needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
• Which company do they place the most coverage with?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?

To contact a specific insurance agent in your state, click here.

Upon receiving good answers for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an insurer that is a good match to properly service your auto insurance policy.

Is there deception in advertising?

Auto insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted higher prices which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That is how companies can advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It’s impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Educate yourself about auto insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Liability coverages – This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage pays for claims like funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, emergency aid and court costs. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford.

Collision coverages – This coverage covers damage to your Sidekick resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for claims like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, colliding with a tree, crashing into a building and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses, surgery and dental work. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive auto insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as theft, fire damage, hitting a bird and a broken windshield. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Suzuki Sidekick.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.

More quotes mean more savings

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to compare Suzuki Sidekick insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.