Buyers have many options when searching for low-cost Nissan Pathfinder insurance. They can either waste time calling around trying to get quotes or utilize the internet to get rate quotes.
There is a right way and a wrong way to compare car insurance rates so we’re going to tell you the proper way to get price quotes for a Nissan and obtain the best price possible.
The purpose of this post is to help you learn the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. But consumers must know the way companies price online insurance and apply this information to your search.
How to Compare Car Insurance Costs
There are several ways to shop for car insurance, but some are more efficient than others. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with agents in your area, or you could use the internet to maximize your effort.
Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers submit their information once, and each participating company provides a quote. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company.
To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.
The only drawback to using this type of system is that consumers can’t choose the insurers you want pricing from. If you prefer to choose individual companies to request quotes from, we have a listing of car insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverages on every quote you get. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to determine the best price for your Nissan Pathfinder. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. And when price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes gives you a better chance of getting lower pricing.
Cut your premium with these nine discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but a few need to be specially asked for before they will apply.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less for Pathfinder insurance than less cautious drivers.
- Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive better car insurance rates for Pathfinder insurance.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
- Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
- Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off for Pathfinder insurance with select insurance companies.
Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.
To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts, follow this link.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is definitely important if you live in a smaller city or town.
By using this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids to get your business. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.
Insurance agents are either independent or captive
If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents to get the best comparison. They often place coverage with smaller companies which can be an advantage.
Captive Agents
Captive agencies have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently choose to use a captive agent mostly because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
To view a complete directory of agents, click here.
Choosing an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- 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)?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
After getting positive responses to these questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that can service your policy.
Can you really save that much by switching?
State Farm, Allstate and GEICO continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim of big savings after switching to their company. How does each company make the same claim?
All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a preferred risk could be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who don’t meet this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Car insurance coverage considerations
Knowing the specifics of car insurance can help you determine which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Nissan Pathfinder.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Usually these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills for pain medications, X-ray expenses, hospital visits, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Liability
This coverage can cover damage that occurs to a person or their property. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for things like bail bonds, court costs, attorney fees, medical expenses and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like damage from flooding, falling objects, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass and vandalism. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage covers damage to your Pathfinder caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building, colliding with another moving vehicle, driving through your garage door and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
More comparisons equals lower rates
Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions or not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right car insurance provider is not as difficult as it may seem.
We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on Nissan Pathfinder insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.
When shopping online for car insurance, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
