1998 Nissan Altima Insurance Rates

Want the cheapest insurance rates for your Nissan Altima? Finding better rates for insurance can be a challenge for consumers not familiar with comparing rates online. People have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become more work than you anticipated to find the best price.

It’s a good habit to price shop coverage quite often due to the fact that insurance rates change quite often. If you had the best rates on Altima insurance six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the things you must know in order to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

The quickest method we recommend to compare policy rates takes advantage of the fact most of the larger companies allow for online access to quote your coverage. To get started, all you need to do is provide information such as distance driven, if you require a SR-22, the year, make and model of vehicles, and if it has an anti-theft system. That rating information is then submitted to multiple top-rated companies and you will receive price estimates instantly.

To find the cheapest insurance rates, click here and complete the quick form.

Ads can be misleading

Insurance providers like Geico, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. How do they all say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings on Nissan Altima insurance.

Pieces of the Nissan Altima insurance rate puzzle

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

  • Do you know your deductibles? – Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The higher the amount you have to pay, the lower your rates will be on Altima insurance.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you. If the Nissan Altima is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs – Careful drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Only having one citation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Do you have a high stress job? – Careers like judges, architects and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates attributed to stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like scientists, students and the unemployed pay the least on Altima insurance.
  • Pay less if you’re married – Getting married helps lower the price on auto insurance. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage is the protection in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.

Save big with these discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

  • Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
  • No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts when compared with bad drivers.
  • Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off on Altima insurance with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Homeowners Savings – Owning a home may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.

A partial list of companies that may have these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:

It’s a good idea to ask each company which discounts they offer. Savings may not be available everywhere.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different.

For instance, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

  • Is pleasure use cheaper than using my 1998 Nissan Altima to commute?
  • How much can I save by bundling my policies?
  • Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
  • Is my state a no-fault state?
  • Do I need rental car coverage?
  • Can I make deliveries for my home business?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
  • Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
  • Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.

Information about specific coverages

Understanding the coverages of your policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Coverage for liability – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.

Liability insurance covers things such as pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects, legal defense fees, funeral expenses and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects and vandalism. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverages – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Altima caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against things such as rolling your car, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like X-ray expenses, nursing services, chiropractic care and EMT expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible

A penny saved is a penny earned

Cost effective 1998 Nissan Altima insurance is available online as well as from independent agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Insureds leave their current company for a number of reasons such as policy cancellation, lack of trust in their agent, unfair underwriting practices or even delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new company can be pretty painless.

When you buy insurance online, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

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