Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can overdraw your savings account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Drivers have multiple insurance companies to pick from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, it can be more difficult to compare company pricing.
Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons quite often since insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the best price on Sierra Classic coverage last year you can probably find a better price now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out how to quote online to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
Finding cheaper auto insurance is simple if you know the tricks. If you have a current auto insurance policy or need a new policy, you can follow these tips to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Drivers just need to understand the most efficient way to shop for auto insurance on the web.
Compare the Market for Auto Insurance
Finding a better price on auto insurance is not rocket science. You just need to invest a few minutes comparing rates provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
One of the best ways to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form gets you coverage quotes .
A slightly less efficient method to get comparison quotes requires a trip to the website of each company and request a quote. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want rates from Nationwide, Progressive and Travelers. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to 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.
Whichever way you use, make sure you use the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If the quotes have different deductibles it’s impossible to determine the best price for your GMC Sierra 1500 Classic.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
- Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance on Sierra Classic coverage.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
- Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles on your GMC could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Distant Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
- Save over 55 – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10% on Sierra Classic coverage.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.
What coverages do I need?
When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions might point out if you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Factors influencing GMC Sierra 1500 Classic insurance rates
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.
- The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance of the car you are insuring makes a substantial difference in your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors. Because the GMC Sierra 1500 Classic is a pickup truck, insuring your vehicle will cost similar in price than the average rate where you live.
- How credit affects auto insurance rates – Credit score is a big factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. So if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your GMC Sierra 1500 Classic by repairing your credit. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with poor credit.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Your policy’s liability coverage is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
- Your spouse saves you money – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – Driving more miles in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. An improperly rated Sierra 1500 Classic can result in significantly higher rates. Double check that your auto insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a lot of additional coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Coverages for personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
- Younger drivers pay higher rates – More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be more careless when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
Buy online or local, you save
We covered some good ideas how to reduce GMC Sierra 1500 Classic insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the most savings is with the least-expected company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at the best price.
