Confused by the dozens of car insurance companies in Kent? You have a lot of company. People have so many options available that it can turn into a ton of work to compare prices.
It’s smart to price shop coverage quite often because insurance rates change frequently. Even if you got the best price six months ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you the best ways to find cheap car insurance.
If you have insurance now or are just looking to switch companies, you can learn to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. This information will introduce you to the best way to quote coverages. Washington drivers just need to understand the best way to shop for car insurance online.
Auto insurance companies don’t always list every discount very well, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of providers with the best car insurance discounts in Kent, follow this link.
There are a variety of methods you can shop for car insurance but there is one way that is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could waste time talking to agents in Kent, or you can stay home and use online quotes to get pricing more quickly.
Most of the best insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to submit their information once, and at least one company provides a quote based on that data. This eliminates the need for quotation requests to each individual car insurance company.
To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of system is buyers cannot specifically choose which providers you want to price. If you prefer to choose specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in Washington. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use apples-to-apples information for each price quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison in Kent.
Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
UM/UIM Coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since many Washington drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as falling objects, damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass and hitting a bird. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Medical costs insurance
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills for X-ray expenses, surgery, dental work, doctor visits and pain medications. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Coverage for liability
This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as emergency aid, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical services, bail bonds and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Washington state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry higher limits.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a building. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, someone dropped full coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Affordable car insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Kent insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
We just covered a lot of ways to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from the least-expected company.
Even more information can be found at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and find out industry alerts.