7 Auto Insurance Tips
Do you spend hours examining insurance quotes for the best deal? Do you know which companies offer discounts for good driving records and how to find them? Do you know what your policy covers, or if it even covers injuries sustained in a car accident?
This informative article will provide some great tips and advice on how to get the cheapest possible auto insurance, as well as what questions to ask! Plus, we'll include some safety tips that can keep your family safe on the road.
These are great guidelines to follow when writing an introduction. Read through them again if necessary because these steps will help with any introduction.
After reading the article, do not be surprised if you are caught off-guard and wonder if it is possible to have an insurance agent that is honest. But, does this mean all agents are dishonest? Nope! There are several agencies that are accountable to their clients and intend to keep them as customers for a long time. In addition to this, there are a lot of companies that have high ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Working with these companies does not guarantee your rights will be protected. It just means that their clients will be able to "vote" with their pocketbook for future insurance purchasing decisions.
When examining your auto insurance quotes, use the following guidelines to help you make the best choice:
First, ask about discounts. Ask for a list of car-related discounts that the company offers. This could include discounts on liability insurance, car rental coverage, collision and comprehensive coverage and roadside assistance.
Also ask if any of these savings apply to all drivers, or just to those with good driving records.
The amount of savings that they offer may depend on how much coverage you currently have with them. For example, if you receive five percent off per year on collision coverage then one percent off per year may make no difference in your total bill.
Second, ask if you are able to choose plan options. Many insurers will offer you the ability to choose a type of coverage or make changes to your current coverage. For example, an insurer might offer three different types of collision coverage.
The company will let you compare these options and then let you pick the one that works best for your situation. There are other choices as well, such as which type of underinsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage fits best with your current needs.
Third, ask about special discounts for teenagers, senior citizens, and people who have been injured in accidents. Some companies may offer discounts for your age or for the number of years you have been a customer with them.
Other companies may offer discounts to seniors and discounts to people who have been injured in an accident and were not at fault.
Insurance policies can be long, filled with legalese, and difficult to understand. However, there are things that you can do to make the process easier on yourself and your family. Before purchasing an insurance policy, make sure that you understand the following:
What is covered?
Some drivers are under the impression that their auto insurance policy covers any injuries sustained in a car accident. This is not the case. Most insurance policies only cover injuries sustained from an accident that you are at least 50% responsible for.
If you are injured from a car accident and if you were less than 50% responsible, then your insurance company will pay for expenses that were related to your injuries, but not for expenses that were caused by the accident itself (for example, medical bills for treatment after the accident).
What is not covered?
Your auto insurance policy does not cover injuries sustained from accidents that you did not cause. To add insult to injury, most states do not even require drivers to purchase liability insurance coverage.
In order to stay clear of legal troubles, it is important that you do not try to "fix" the accident yourself. For example, if you are out shopping for groceries and your car is hit by another driver and you have no idea who hit your car or who might be at fault, then do not try to beat the other driver unconscious or solve the problem on your own without contacting police.
What happens if I get injured while in an accident?
The policy holder should know what happens after they are injured in a car accident. This will help them make informed decisions about whether or not contacting an insurance company is appropriate.
If you have health insurance, then check with your provider to make sure that they will cover the accident-related injuries. If the accident is determined as being your fault, then ask how much the insurance company will pay for your injuries before contacting them.
In addition to knowing what coverage you have, it is important that you know who to contact if an accident occurs. If you do not already know this information, then find out who to contact if an accident occurs and/or what steps you should take after an accident has occurred.
Insurance companies are always changing. A few years ago, we would have recommended that you visit the various insurance sites within one day of purchasing your auto insurance. At the time, we thought that it was more important to get auto insurance as soon as possible; however, today we recommend that you make sure you have enough time to read through the entire policy and understand what it covers before purchasing it.
Source: The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), in partnership with HealthLeaders Media and the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), offers a great article about how to find an agent and then crack your insurance policy open like a book.
How to read your auto insurance policy:
Make sure that you know what is covered and what is not by reading through your entire policy so that you know exactly what you are paying for. Do not assume that because you have purchased insurance in the past that it will cover the same thing for a different amount of time.
Equally important, review what is not covered. Some people assume that their auto insurance policy covers every single thing related to an accident, which is often not the case.
Do your best to make sure that you understand what your policy covers and how much coverage you actually have. This will reduce the chances of having to worry about bills or legal repercussions related to an accident without having adequate coverage.
Source: The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.
Conclusion
When looking to reduce your insurance costs, one of the easiest places to start is by searching for new insurance companies or comparing the auto insurance you currently have with another company.
We recommend making a list of possible new insurance companies and then comparing their rates with your current insurance provider. It is important that you shop around when looking to change companies because the results may not be what you are expecting.
The actual cost of an auto insurance policy can vary from person to person, but that does not mean that you will automatically pay more or less than the next person. Companies factor in many different factors when determining how much they will charge you, including where you live and how long you have been a customer with them.
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7 Auto Insurance Tips