5 Top Tips to Slash Auto Insurance Costs in Felton

Shopping for low-cost Felton auto insurance on the internet is intimidating for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. Since there are so many online companies available, how can anyone effectively compare every company to locate the best price?

It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the best rates a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list all available discounts very well, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Felton, click here to view.

Detailed coverages of your auto insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from getting keyed, theft, vandalism and damage from flooding. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Liability car insurance – Liability insurance protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. 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 limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability coverage protects against claims like attorney fees, loss of income, court costs, emergency aid and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Delaware requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Since many Delaware drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (15/30/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle 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 claims such as hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Medical expense insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills such as EMT expenses, nursing services, doctor visits, surgery and pain medications. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Delaware Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, file complaints about a company, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about specific coverages.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

You just learned a lot of information how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a small mutual company.

Lower-priced auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many Felton insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, high prices, not issuing a premium refund or lack of trust in their agent. No matter why you want to switch, switching companies can be easier than you think.