Have you fallen victim to high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are many people just like you.
Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance promote their brand names with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Choosing the best insurance company for you is not that difficult. But drivers must learn the methods companies use to sell online.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Companies do not advertise every discount very well, so we break down both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.
- E-sign – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates on Freestyle coverage than drivers with accident claims.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive reduced rates on Freestyle coverage.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
To choose insurance companies with discount car insurance rates, follow this link.
Which Car Insurance is Cheapest?
Comparing car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use online quotes to get the quickest rates.
All the larger companies take part in a program where prospective buyers submit one quote, and each company then gives them pricing for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual car insurance company.
To compare rates now click here (opens in new window).
The single downside to comparing rates this way is that consumers can’t choose which providers you will receive quotes from. If you prefer to choose specific providers to request quotes from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
However you get your quotes, ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you are comparing different values for each quote it’s not possible to make a fair comparison for your Ford Freestyle. Quoting even small variations in limits may cause a big price difference. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that quoting more provides better odds of finding a lower rate.
Why your Ford Freestyle insurance rates may be high
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.
- Multi-policy discounts can save money – Some companies give discounts to policyholders who carry more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to compare rates to ensure the best deal.
- Never go without insurance – Letting your insurance expire is a guaranteed way to increase your car insurance rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Protect your assets with liability insurance – Liability insurance provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Your job and insurance rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like real estate brokers, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates due to job stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations like scientists, historians and performers pay the least on Freestyle coverage.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are quite a few extra coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Things like personal injury protection, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may seem good initially, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
- Sex matters – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. Both sexes cause accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
Is my situation unique?
When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- When should I drop full coverage on my Ford Freestyle?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- What is the minimum liability in my state?
- When should I not file a claim?
If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
A small number of people prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.
After filling out this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to participating agents who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. How cool is that?! You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.
Picking a company needs to be determined by more than just the price. These questions are important to ask:
- How are claims handled?
- Who are their largest clients?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
Different types of car insurance agents
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Insurance agencies are classified as either independent or captive.
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captives receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.
To view a complete directory of agents, visit this site.
Upon receiving positive responses to all your questions as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.
Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks
Companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads on television and other media. All the ads have a common claim that you can save if you move to their company. How can each company say the same thing?
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a driver they prefer could be between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who matches those parameters receives the best rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards will have to pay a higher premium which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why companies can truthfully state the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
In Summary
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to compare Ford Freestyle insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
