Are you sick and tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? You are in the same boat as many other drivers.
Numerous car insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies and get the best coverage at the cheapest price
Consumers need to price shop coverage yearly since insurance rates trend upward over time. Just because you found the lowest price on Rio insurance a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the best way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
Comprehensive Auto Insurance Comparison
When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The fastest way to find competitive Kia Rio insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The recommended way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company. One quote request will return quotes from many national carriers.
- A more difficult way to get quotes online consists of visiting the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from USAA, Allstate and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your information, which is 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 around to different agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, comparison shop your insurance online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll cover that in a bit.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you use higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to find the best deal for your Kia Rio. Slightly different coverage limits could mean much higher rates. It’s important to know that comparing a large number of companies helps you find the best rates.
Is there truth in advertising?
Auto insurance providers like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch your policy. How does each company say the same thing?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. Any driver who matches those parameters receives the best rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards will be charged higher rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.
That is why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict which company will have the lowest rates.
Verify you’re getting all your discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be inquired about before you will receive the discount.
- Multi-car Discount – Having more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared with bad drivers.
- Memberships – Belonging to a professional or civic organization could trigger savings on your policy on Rio insurance.
- Own a Home – Owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Kia can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will bring down your premiums.
For a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts, follow this link.
Online quotes with a local insurance agent
A small number of people just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important especially in smaller communities.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your insurance data is sent to participating agents who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.
If you want to view licensed agents in your state, visit this site.
Deciding on an insurance company requires more thought than just the premium amount. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Upon getting answers to your satisfaction for all questions you ask and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an provider that is a good match to properly service your auto insurance policy. Keep in mind you can always cancel coverage for any reason so don’t assume you are locked into any specific agency with no way to switch.
Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your situation might need professional guidance.
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- What are no-fault laws?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- When should I drop full coverage on my Kia Rio?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Auto insurance specifics
Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Kia Rio.
Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Collision insurance
This pays for damage to your Rio resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see policy limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers things such as legal defense fees, medical expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, structural damage and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like EMT expenses, doctor visits, ambulance fees and nursing services. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive protection
This coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as fire damage, falling objects, hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
In conclusion
We’ve covered some good ideas how to shop for Kia Rio insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.
Low-cost Kia Rio insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents in your state, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. A few companies don’t offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
