Are you tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers. Many car insurance companies compete for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every provider and uncover the absolute best price available.
Smart consumers take time to check auto insurance prices on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates change regularly. If you had the best rates for X-Trail coverage a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online, so I’m going to show you the easiest ways to find cheap auto insurance.
If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these tips to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage is not rocket science. Drivers just need to know the proper way to shop for auto insurance on the web.
Auto Insurance Comparisons
Performing a rate comparison can be challenging if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can spend your afternoon talking to insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting to achieve your goal.
Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers submit their information once, and each company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to doing it this way is you cannot specify which providers to get quotes from. If you wish to select specific providers to compare, we have assembled a list of companies who write auto insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage information with each company. If your comparisons have different deductibles you can’t possibly determine the best price for your Nissan X-Trail.
These discounts can lower your rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available to reduce the price significantly. Some trigger automatically when you complete an application, but a few need to be manually applied before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.
- Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% for X-Trail coverage with a few auto insurance companies.
- Student in College – Youth drivers living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Club Memberships – Belonging to a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance for X-Trail coverage.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.
What happened to insurance agents?
Some consumers would rather get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from local agencies is especially important in smaller rural communities.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your information is emailed to companies who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
How to choose the best insurance agent
When researching a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Insurance agencies are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning the differences because it can impact your selection of an agent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.
Captive Agents
Captive agencies can only place business with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captive agents are well schooled in insurance sales which can be an advantage.
For a full directory of insurance agencies, click here.
Picking an insurance agency should depend on more than just the premium amount. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
Once you have reasonable responses to all your questions and locked in a price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that can provide auto insurance coverage.
Situations that might require an agent
When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- When should I drop full coverage on my Nissan X-Trail?
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.
Complexity of Nissan X-Trail insurance rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
- What are your deductibles? – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance for X-Trail coverage.
- Small claims can cost you – Companies generally give better rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance is designed for larger claims.
- Performance level impacts rates – The performance of the car you drive makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost. Since the Nissan X-Trail is a standard SUV, insurance will be slighty more than the average rate where you live.
- More people means more accidents – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when talking about auto insurance. Urban drivers have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers means fewer accidents.
- Your age impacts your rates – Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be more careless behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a teen driver onto a policy can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – Liability insurance provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Pay less if you’re married – Having a spouse actually saves money on your policy. Marriage is viewed as being more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Do you have a high stress job? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as lawyers, architects and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates due to high stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, jobs such as farmers, students and homemakers pay the least for X-Trail coverage.
A little work can save a LOT of money
While you’re price shopping online, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.
We just covered many ideas to lower your Nissan X-Trail insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
