I really doubt anyone enjoys paying for auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Numerous insurance companies battle for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer to find the best rates possible.
It’s a good habit to shop coverage around at least once a year since insurance prices change regularly. Just because you had the best price six months ago you can probably find a better rate quote now. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the fastest way to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.
If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Finding affordable coverage in Sunnyside is quite easy. But Washington vehicle owners benefit from understanding the methods companies use to price insurance differently.
Six discounts to earn lower Sunnyside auto insurance rates
Some insurance providers don’t always advertise every possible discount very well, so the list below contains a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious auto insurance savings.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few larger companies offer discounts for switching policies before your current coverage expires. You could save around 10% when you .
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
- Bundled Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you will save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Multi-line Discount – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a small discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better prices.
- Sunnyside Homeowners Pay Less – Just owning your own home can earn you a little savings because it requires personal responsibility.
We need to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you aren’t that lucky.
Auto insurance companies that may offer policyholders some of the above discounts possibly include:
When quoting, ask each company which discounts can lower your rates. Discounts may not apply to policies in Sunnyside. To locate providers with discount auto insurance rates in Sunnyside, follow this link.
More detailed Washington auto insurance information is located at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.
Also read more on this site for rates in Washington and this list of insurance agents in Sunnyside.
Specifics of your auto insurance policy
Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Liability car insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000.
Liability can pay for claims like loss of income, attorney fees and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. Washington requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
This provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
Coverage for collisions
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things such as sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills such as EMT expenses, X-ray expenses and doctor visits. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Summing up your auto insurance search
Discount auto insurance can be found both online in addition to many Sunnyside insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not provide price quotes online and these smaller providers work with independent insurance agencies.
As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more you , the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest car insurance rates are with an unexpected company. Regional companies may have significantly lower premium rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.