Purchasing the most affordable auto insurance on the internet may be intimidating for people who are new to comparison shopping online. Since there are so many online companies available, how can anyone possibly compare every one to find the cheapest available price?
You need to compare prices once or twice a year because rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the lowest price on DTS insurance on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest and easiest way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.
Shopping for the lowest cost auto insurance can be fairly easy. In a nutshell, everyone who shops for auto insurance will be able to save money. Nevertheless, consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how companies sell insurance online.
Comparing auto insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t know the easiest way. You can spend countless hours discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the web to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Most of the best insurance companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and each participating company returns a rated price based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions to each company.
To use this form to compare 2011 Cadillac DTS insurance rates click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly which carriers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using the exact same coverages with every price quote. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to make a fair comparison for your Cadillac DTS. Just a small difference in coverages may cause a big price difference. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding a lower rate.
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of purchase, but a few need to be asked about before they will apply.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.
Insurance companies who might offer these benefits may include but are not limited to:
It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering how you can save money. Some discounts may not be available in your state.
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique.
For instance, these questions could help you determine if your situation might need professional guidance.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from 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 claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, theft, damage from getting keyed and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like ambulance fees, surgery, rehabilitation expenses, chiropractic care and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses, court costs and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Collision insurance pays for damage to your DTS resulting from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things such as scraping a guard rail, crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people 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 a good idea. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.