Cheapest Car Insurance

It is a wise decision to purchase cheap car insurance when one cannot afford to spend much for auto insurance. A basic car insurance that meets the regulations in the respective state will be sufficient for a car owner to fulfill the legal requirements. It is wiser to opt for the cheapest car insurance when the car has very low value. Those who drive a car without insurance will be penalized and when there is an accident for which the driver of the uninsured car is responsible, the penalty amount will be huge. There are a variety of affordable car insurance plans and one has to go through a few auto insurance quotes and select the cheapest as well as the best insurance for the car. Depending on the affordability one can add optional coverages to the insurance policy if required. Those who go for the cheapest auto insurance should keep in mind that while the amount of the insurance premiums to be paid every year should not be high, the insurance should ensure protection to the car and enable the car owner to avoid out-of-pocket expenses in case of minor accidents. While the basic car insurance helps to meet the legal requirements with minimum expense, additional coverages are necessary if the assets are to be protected.

Compare the affordable car insurance rates in your state

There are different types of car insurance and one should not be under the wrong impression that all are same. The cheapest auto insurance provides the legally required coverage for the lowest amount of premium. The car insurance coverage that includes minimum liability coverage as per rules of a state will provide the amount of damage of property as well as medical bills when there is an accident. In case the car owner wants more insurance coverage, the premium amount of his car insurance policy will increase because of raising the limit to provide the optional coverages. The rates of annual premiums for the most affordable car insurance plans vary from state to state. The average premium amount for the cheapest car insurance in a particular state can be found out from the table given below.

The numbers in the column for “MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS” show the liability limits. For example, in the case of Florida (FL) the numbers 10/20/10 indicate the coverage provided by the cheap car insurance.

• maximum $10000 per individual for medical expenses
• maximum $20000 per accident for medical expenses
• maximum $10000 for damage of property

Car owners who want to identify the auto insurance company whose insurance quotes show the lowest rate of premium in a particular state has to compare the car insurance costs of different insurance companies. The table below shows the average annual premium charged by the major insurance companies in each state. It is easy to identify the major insurance provider who offers the cheapest auto insurance in a particular state.

Thorough research and comparison of the cheap car insurance quotes are very important for selecting the best insurance option for the car. For those who have very limited finance and are having an old car which has the lowest value, the basic car insurance policy is the best option.

Is it wise to go for the cheapest car insurance?

Many car owners who are in search of affordable car insurance buy in haste the insurance policy which has the minimum liability. However, since the limits are very low, the amount payable by the insurance company will not be sufficient to cover the expenses caused by a minor accident and as a result, the car owner will have to bear out-of-pocket expenses to protect his vehicle. Hence going for the cheapest car insurance is not a solution to all problems. However, cheap auto insurance is suitable for a few situations which are described below.

1. An old car which has very low value

When the insurance needs are more, limit of the insurance policy also will be more and collision coverage and comprehensive coverage are to be included in the plan. With all these coverages, there will be a considerable increase in the annual premium amount to be payable. When the vehicle is new and valuable, it will require all types of protection. Hence the insurance covers for such a car should include repair after an accident, replacement because of damage caused by theft, fallen objects, fire, flood, animals or riots. The maximum payout from optional coverages like comprehensive auto insurance coverage and collision coverage will be equal to the exact value of the car. Hence, when the car doesn’t value much, a cheap car insurance to fulfill the legal requirements is quite sufficient.

2. Car for limited use

If the car runs just for a few miles only daily the chances of an accident are less. In that case, there is not much risk. People who have retired from service or those who work from their homes will not be driving the car as much as those who drive their cars to and from the workplace daily. In such cases, optional coverages are not required. Cheap auto insurance is the best option in such cases.

3. The person who drives the car has no assets or savings

When the driver of the car has caused an accident, the driver of the other vehicle will claim for the damages and in case the amount to be paid is more than the amount which the former receives from the insurance company, he will have to incur out-of-pocket expenses. But, if the driver who caused the accident has no assets or big savings, he cannot be sued for damages. For this kind of drivers, cheapest car insurance is the best option.

4. Not having a creditable driving record

If a driver has a history of causing accidents and violating traffic rules, the same will reflect in his traffic record. In such cases, the insurance companies will consider them as high-risk drivers and will fix higher rates of premium in order to safeguard the interests of the insurance company. However, such drivers can improve their traffic record in the coming years by way of careful driving and strict adherence to traffic rules. Until the traffic records become favorable, these drivers can opt for the minimum liability car insurance so as to avoid paying a big amount every year for car insurance premium.

While it is advisable to purchase the cheapest car insurance for those who face the above-mentioned situations, in normal cases, adequate insurance coverage is essential to ensure the protection of vehicle as well as other assets and also to avoid out-of-pocket expenses in case of accidents.

Getting the cheapest car insurance

Those who want to ensure that they have the cheapest car insurance must be aware of the car insurance discounts. An accident-free traffic record of the driver and the profession of the person who drives the car also help to secure insurance discounts. While going through the cheap car insurance quotes one should bear in mind that the eligibility conditions for car insurance discounts differ among the insurance companies and also that all insurance companies are not providing all types of discounts.

The list of common car insurance discounts is given below:

• Safe driver
• Policy renewal
• Safety features in the car
• Multi-vehicle insurance
• Multi-line insurance
• Theft prevention
• Defensive driver courses

Those who have records of safe driving are eligible for insurance discounts. Drivers who have not caused accidents for the past 3 – 5 years will be offered discounts as per guidelines of the insurance company. When the driver has a continuous insurance or every year he renews his insurance policy with the same company, he will be given the discount. When the car has various safety features in it, insurance discount will be provided. The safety features include anti-lock brakes, air bags, and stability control. Insurance discount is offered for providing anti-theft devices also like the car alarm, GPS recovery system and windows with VIN, etc. When a person insures two or more vehicles with the same insurance company, he is eligible for the insurance discount. Similarly, those who insure their homes and cars with the same insurance company will get discounts. Drivers who have attended courses in defensive driving are given discounts by the insurance companies.

Those who want the cheapest car insurance quotes from insurance companies should make it clear that they want the cheapest insurance policy for their car. They should go for the minimum liability options and should not ask for optional coverages. Those who shop for cheap car insurance should insist for car insurance discounts. One has to collect all the details pertaining to car insurance discounts offered by the company. It is also very important to compare the quotes from different insurance companies. By way of comparing the prices of car insurance policies offered by the major insurance companies in a state, one can find out the lowest rate available in that particular state.

Car insurance is also influenced by the credit history of the driver. Those who are able to maintain an impressive credit score can easily get the cheapest car insurance. Normally, drivers with high credit scores will not file too many claims and they will be prompt in paying their bills. The insurance companies are favorable to this kind of drives and they offer them the best rates.

Those who carry poor credit scores can improve their credit score by way of avoiding late payment of bills, keeping low balances in credit cards, abstaining from opening new credit card accounts and at the same time not cancelling all the credit cards and ensuring that they receive accurate, error-free credit reports.