If online car insurance comparisons are new to you, you may be overwhelmed by the vast number of companies offering coverage in Bowling Green.
Do you qualify for these six discounts?
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so we researched some of the best known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in school.
- Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies permit an accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Kentucky, click this link.
Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Bowling Green, KY
Finding a better price on car insurance is a fairly straight forward process. The only requirement is to invest a few minutes getting comparison quotes from different insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.
- One of the simplest ways to find low rates is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This form saves time by eliminating repetitive form entry for each company. One form gets you coverage quotes from multiple companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
- A more time consuming way to obtain and compare quotes online requires a visit to each company website and complete a new quote form. For instance, let’s say you want comparison quotes from USAA, Progressive and American Family. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Bowling Green, click here.
Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If you compare higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to make a fair comparison in Bowling Green.
Parts of your car insurance policy
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/10 in Kentucky), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Auto liability
Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things like funeral expenses, loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects, pain and suffering and medical services. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Kentucky state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
Collision coverage
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things like hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a ditch and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and theft. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for chiropractic care, doctor visits, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
More effort can pay off
Budget-conscious car insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Bowling Green insurance agents, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies do not provide online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier.
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.