Top 5 Ways to Save on Auto Insurance in Salt Lake City
Consumers not familiar with buying insurance online could find purchasing cheap Salt Lake City auto insurance nearly impossible.
Pricing affordable auto insurance in Salt Lake City can be fairly easy. Just about every vehicle owner who carries auto insurance will most likely be able to reduce their rates. Although Utah car owners must understand how companies price insurance differently.
Take these 5 discounts and save
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Most are applied when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.
For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Utah, click this link.
Quick Salt Lake City Auto Insurance Quotes
To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. The best method to find the cheapest insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.
The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form will get you rate comparisons from all major companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
Another way to shop for auto insurance online requires you to visit each individual company website and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare rates from Farmers, Progressive and Travelers. To get each rate you have to go to every website and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Salt Lake City, click here.
The hardest method of comparing rate quotes is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area and you’ll learn how to do that later.
Whichever method you choose, compare exactly the same coverages for every company. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to determine the best price in Salt Lake City. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies gives you a better chance of getting the best rates.
Quote online but still have a local agent
Some people just want to talk to a local agent and that is OK! One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is important particularly in Salt Lake City.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is emailed to local insurance agents in Salt Lake City who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You never need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
If you want to view a list of agents in Salt Lake City to contact, visit this link.
Picking an insurer should depend on more than just a low price. These are valid questions to ask:<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-60.jpg" alt="Utah car insurance quote” />
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction to these questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an insurer that can properly service your auto insurance policy. Keep in mind policyholders can cancel coverage for any reason so don’t assume that you are obligated to a policy with no way to switch.
Beware of misleading auto insurance ads
State Farm, Allstate and GEICO continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them. How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.
All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. A driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential insureds who are not a match for the requirements will be charged higher rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.
That is why it’s extremely important to get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Auto insurance coverage options
Learning about specific coverages of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/65/15 in Utah), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive auto coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a bird and rock chips in glass. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses like doctor visits, dental work, EMT expenses, prosthetic devices and X-ray expenses. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision coverage
Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims like hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Auto liability insurance
Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. 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 bail bonds, medical services and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford. Utah state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/65,000/15,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
Do the work, save more money
Cost effective auto insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Salt Lake City agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high prices, policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new company is actually quite simple.
We covered a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company.
More sites with auto insurance information
Additional information can be found on the Utah Insurance Department website located here. Consumers can learn about specific coverages, discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other useful links include Auto Insurance 101 and this page of Salt Lake City insurance agents.