Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Popular companies such as GEICO, Progressive and Allstate persitently shower you with advertising and it is difficult to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and find the best price available.
You should make it a habit to price shop coverage occasionally because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price for 3.5RL insurance last year there may be better deals available now. Starting now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the tricks you need to know to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Drivers Education – Have your child complete a driver education course in high school.
- Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Sign Online – A few companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts, follow this link.
How to Get Auto Insurance
Getting better Acura 3.5RL auto insurance pricing isn’t really that difficult. You just have to take a few minutes getting comparison quotes from different insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.
The most efficient way to get quotes for comparison is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do separate quotes for each company you want a rate for. Taking the time to complete one form compares rates instantly.
A more difficult way to compare rate quotes requires visiting the website of each company to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to compare Farmers, 21st Century and Liberty Mutual. To get each rate you have to visit each site to enter your coverage 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 hardest method to compare rates is driving to local insurance agencies. The internet can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you prefer the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area. We’ll cover that shortly.
It’s up to you which method you use, but compare identical deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If you enter different limits and deductibles on each one then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Certain consumers would rather buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find better rates and still choose a local agent.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email.
Selecting an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- How long has their agency been in business?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
If you want to contact a specific insurance agent in your state, visit this page.
Once you have positive responses to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurer that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance. But keep in mind policyholders can cancel a policy at any time so never assume you are locked into any particular company for any length of time.
Auto insurance ads bend the truth
Consumers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you move to them.
How can each company claim to save you money?
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a driver they prefer might be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and chooses high deductibles. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Potential customers who do not match the requirements will be quoted higher premiums and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This emphasizes why it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Specific coverages for an Acura 3.5RL
Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the normal coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Coverage for medical expenses – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses like surgery, X-ray expenses and EMT expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Acura 3.5RL.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Comprehensive auto insurance – Comprehensive insurance covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as theft, a broken windshield and hail damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Liability coverages – Liability insurance protects you from damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability can pay for claims like funeral expenses, medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, legal defense fees and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.
Collision coverage – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your 3.5RL caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things such as hitting a mailbox, colliding with another moving vehicle, damaging your car on a curb and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Final considerations
As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
We covered a lot of ways to reduce Acura 3.5RL insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
