Lower Your 2018 BMW 3 Series Insurance Rates

Think you have an expensive insurance policy? It’s quite common and there are lots of residents who feel the same. Having so many choices, it can be hard to pick a lower cost insurance company.

Consumers need to get comparison quotes periodically because insurance prices fluctuate regularly. If you had the best rates on 3 Series coverage at your last renewal you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the best methods to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

This information will help educate you on how to get online quotes and some money-saving tips. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Drivers just need to learn the most efficient way to shop for insurance online.

Cheapest car insurance price quotes

Finding more affordable car insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. The only thing you need to do is take a few minutes comparing rate quotes online with multiple companies. It’s really simple and can be done in several different ways.

If you don’t have a lot of time, the easiest way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating a different quote to each individual car insurance company. One form gets coverage cost estimates direct from many companies.

A different way to find better pricing consists of going to the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll pretend you want to get rates from Farmers, Geico and GMAC. In order to get each rate, you would have to spend time going to each site individually and punch in your information repeatedly, which is not fast way to get rate quotes. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare exactly the same coverages and limits for each quote you get. If you compare different coverage information it will be nearly impossible to determine the best price for your BMW 3 Series.

Insurance policy discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

  • Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up before driving can save a little off PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Defensive Driver Discount – Taking time to complete a course teaching driver safety skills could earn you a small percentage discount and make you a better driver.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a lower insurance rate if you buy a life policy as well.
  • Government Employee Discount – Active or retired federal employment may qualify for a discount when you quote insurance on 3 Series coverage with some insurance companies.
  • Active Service Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
  • Switch and Save Discount – A few insurance companies allow discounts for switching to them before your current coverage expires. You may see this discount when you get insurance quotes online.
  • Early Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
  • Student Discount for Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education in school.

Just know that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A list of insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be found below.

  • Esurance includes discounts for safety device, good student, renters, multi-car, Switch & Save, multi-policy, and emergency road assistance.
  • The Hartford has discounts for bundle, good student, driver training, defensive driver, air bag, and anti-theft.
  • AAA policyholders can earn discounts including education and occupation, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, multi-car, and good student.
  • Geico offers discounts including daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, good student, membership and employees, and anti-lock brakes.
  • State Farm may include discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, driver’s education, good driver, and Drive Safe & Save.

Before purchasing a policy, check with all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some credits may not apply everywhere. For a list of insurers with the best insurance discounts, click here to view.

Why your insurance rates might be higher

When buying car insurance it’s important to understand the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine your premiums.

  • Discounts for GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Higher prices for high stress jobs – Occupational choices like doctorsair traffic controllers and dentists usually pay higher premium rates due to intense work-related stress and long work hours. Conversely, jobs such as scientists, historians and homemakers generally pay rates lower than average on 3 Series coverage.
  • Your gender affects rates – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown females are less aggressive when driving. This data doesn’t prove that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into fender benders in similar percentages, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Not only that, but men also get more serious tickets like driving under the influence (DUI).
  • Always have car insurance – Going without insurance can be a guaranteed way to pay more for car insurance. Not only will you pay more, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
  • Good drivers pay better premiums – Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Getting just one citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums as compared to those with violations. Drivers who get dangerous violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
  • Marriage is a factor – Walking down the aisle actually saves money on car insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more financially stable and insurance companies like that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
  • Annual miles is a factor – The more miles you rack up on your BMW each year the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks that have low annual miles cost less to insure than those used for commuting. A policy that improperly rates your 3 Series may be costing you higher rates. Double check that your car insurance declarations sheet correctly shows the correct driver usage.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions can help discover whether or not you may require specific advice.

  • Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
  • Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
  • Who is covered when they drive my 2018 BMW 3 Series?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Is my 2018 BMW 3 Series covered for smoke damage?
  • Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • At what point should I drop full coverage?
  • What is the ISO rating for a 2018 BMW 3 Series?
  • Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Parts of your insurance policy

Having a good grasp of insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your 3 Series resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for things such as hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, damaging your car on a curb, sustaining damage from a pot hole and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for EMT expenses, funeral costs, ambulance fees, surgery and dental work. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Auto liability – Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see values of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as loss of income, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Have the Midas touch

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to shop for 2018 BMW 3 Series insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding the cheapest insurance. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.

The cheapest 2018 BMW 3 Series insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents, so you need to quote insurance with both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies may not offer internet price quotes and these smaller providers only sell through independent agencies.

When searching for cheap insurance quotes, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced full coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Additional auto insurance information is located on the following sites: