Buyers have a choice when searching for affordable Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser insurance. You can either waste hours struggling with agents to get rate comparisons or use the internet to compare rates.
There is a better way to shop for car insurance so we’re going to tell you the best way to price shop coverage on a Oldsmobile and find the cheapest rates from local insurance agents and online providers.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. This article will help educate you on how to effectively get price quotes and some tricks to saving. Nevertheless, consumers must understand the way companies sell insurance online.
Car Insurance Quote Comparison
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rate quotes from different insurance companies. By far the easiest way to compare insurance prices is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
The first (and easiest) way to compare a lot of rates at once is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms to each individual car insurance company. Just one form compares rates from many national carriers. This is by far the quickest method.
A more time consuming way to compare prices is spending the time to visit the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Travelers. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates to local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you want the professional guidance only provided by licensed agents. However, consumers can compare online quotes but buy from a local insurance agent.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverage limits on every quote you get. If you are comparing different values for each quote it’s not possible to truly determine the lowest rate. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting a better price.
Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be asked for before you get the savings.
- One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off on Custom Cruiser coverage depending on your company.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts, click here to view.
Are insurance agents obsolete?
Some consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is important especially if you live in a smaller city or town.
By using this short form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. How cool is that?! You can find better rates AND a local agent.
Insurance agent types
When looking for a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. agents are categorized either captive or independent.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.
Captive Agents
These agents work for only one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some people will only purchase coverage from captives primarily because of loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.
To view a complete directory of agencies, click here.
Choosing an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in your state?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
After receiving positive feedback for all questions you ask and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that will adequately provide car insurance.
Will just any policy work for me?
When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.
These are some specific questions could help you determine whether you will benefit from professional help.
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
- Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- Is my Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser covered for smoke damage?
- Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Parts of your car insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Medical expense coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for short-term medical expenses such as chiropractic care, dental work, ambulance fees and pain medications. They are utilized in addition to 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. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision coverages – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants 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.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Liability insurance – Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things such as bail bonds, funeral expenses and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive protection – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hail damage, vandalism and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Smart consumers save more
Drivers switch companies for many reasons like questionable increases in premium, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim or even policy non-renewal. Whatever your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is less work than it seems.
Lower-priced Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser insurance can be found online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
When shopping online for car insurance, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
