Paying for high-priced Oldsmobile Bravada insurance can overdraw your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to help make ends meet. Consumers have many insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have multiple companies, it can be more challenging to compare rates and find the lowest cost auto insurance.
Auto Insurance Prices Online
Getting a lower price on Oldsmobile Bravada insurance is not rocket science. You just need to take the time getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.
- One of the simplest ways to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. One simple form will return quotes direct from many companies.
- A different way to get quotes online requires visiting the website of each company and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to compare Liberty Mutual, Progressive and Travelers. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
- The most time-consuming way to compare rates is to drive around to local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the professional advice of a licensed agent. You can, however, compare the best prices online and still use a local agent. We’ll cover that shortly.
However you get your quotes, make darn sure you compare identical information with each company. If you compare different values for each quote then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate for your Oldsmobile Bravada.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Drivers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you move your coverage to them.
How can each company say the same thing?
Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer could be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.
Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will be charged more money which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. This is how companies can advertise the savings.
That is why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off on Bravada coverage with select insurance companies.
- Sign Online – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down on your Oldsmobile can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
- Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more on Bravada coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will cut the cost of coverage.
Buying auto insurance from a local agent
Some people would prefer to get advice from a local agent. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local businesses is important particularly in smaller rural communities.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents who will return price quotes to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy!
Different types of auto insurance agents
When researching a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies are classified as either independent or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can impact the type of agent you choose
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparing rates, we recommend you include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.
Agency Captives
These agents write business for a single company and examples are State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. Captives are well schooled in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
For a complete listing of agencies, click here.
Picking a car insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Once you have received good answers to your questions and a low price estimate, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that is a good match to provide auto insurance coverage.
Educate yourself about auto insurance coverages
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Medical expense insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses such as chiropractic care, surgery, rehabilitation expenses, doctor visits and nursing services. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto liability
This coverage can cover damage that occurs to other people or property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability insurance covers things like medical expenses, court costs and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Bravada from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, rolling your car, colliding with a tree, sustaining damage from a pot hole and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
This 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 Oldsmobile Bravada.
Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane and fire damage. 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.
A tidy conclusion
Cheap Oldsmobile Bravada insurance can be bought online as well as from independent agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
We just covered many ideas to shop for Oldsmobile Bravada insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
