Compare Auto Insurance Rates to find the Best Policy

Auto insurance comes in many forms, levels of coverage and even coverage requirements depending on what state the car is registered in and possibly details in the car’s financing. Because of this variety it’s good to find a resource that allows you to compare auto insurance quotes to find the best deal for the coverage you want.

Your car insurance rates will vary depending on the exact mix of coverage, and it’s important to take the time to compare auto insurance. Automobile insurance can be roughly broken down into six categories: bodily injury liability; property damage liability; medical payments, or personal injury protection; collision, comprehensive physical damage; and uninsured or underinsured motorist.

The two types of auto insurance all states require car owners to carry are bodily injury and property damage. These requirements help ensure all drivers can pay for damages or injury caused by the vehicle they are driving. Each state does have it’s own specific requirements for minimum auto insurance, so do be certain you understand the requirements in your state.

Beyond required car insurance, collision is a popular option to look at when getting a car insurance quote to compare different plans. Collision pays for damages to your car in case of an accident – either with another vehicle, an object or just loss of control that leads to damages.Collision insurance comes with a deductible that must be paid before insurance kicks in, and a typical deductible will range from $250 to $1000. The higher the premium paid on the auto insurance, the lower the deductible. If you are not at fault in the accident, you might even get your deductible covered by the driver who was found at fault.

Comprehensive coverage adds anther layer of protection beyond required liability and collision. Comprehensive auto insurance covers damages or loss caused by something beyond an accident with another car or an object. This type of loss can come from a number of sources such as fire, falling objects, hail, flood, vandalism, missiles, explosion, riot, striking an animal, earthquake or windstorm. Comprehensive also covers glass breakage such as a cracked windshield. Comprehensive auto insurance is typically sold with a deductible, similar to collision.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 72 percent of insured drivers opt for collision coverage and of those drivers 77 percent add comprehensive coverage to their collision and liability coverage.

The key to buying automobile insurance is to become informed on what type of coverage you are required to carry and then what additional coverage you’d like to add to your policy. Be sure to take the time and compare auto insurance quotes because the cost of similar plans can vary between different insurance companies, and when you do decide on a policy make sure it contains the coverage you want.

Remember car insurance is more expensive in urban areas when compared to rural areas because of more traffic, increased possibility for vandalism or theft and the fact urban areas have a higher incidence of insurance fraud.

The most expensive five states/areas for automobile insurance are Washington D.C., New Jersey, Louisiana, New York and Florida. The five least expensive are North Dakota, Iowa, South Dakota, Idaho and Kansas.

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Auto Insurance: Fixed Rate vs. Annual Escalation

It has been established that 65% of South African road users are not insured. There are many reasons why someone would choose not to insure their vehicle. Perhaps they do not even have a choice in the matter, in the respect that they cannot afford any extra monthly expense. Auto insurance can be very costly, and there is also the fact that this monthly fee can fluctuate due to a number of aspects.

The undeniable fact is that car insurance is a necessity on our South African roads, especially when taking into consideration the high accident and motor vehicle theft rate in our country.

When making the decision to acquire auto insurance there are two options for you to consider. You may either choose a fixed rate or an annual escalating rate. An annual escalating rate is liable to fluctuate in accordance to the interest rate situation as well as having a standardized annual increase. There are aspects to this choice that must be taken into consideration: One would need to assess whether this would be a more viable and more importantly, a more affordable option to the fixed rate fee. The fixed rate is a set amount that one will pay on their car insurance each and every month. This rate is not affected by any factors like the annual escalation rate, but as a result it is more expensive.

An annual escalation has a normal percentage rate by which your car insurance premium will increase each year. An annual escalation is also prone to the oscillation of the interest rate. If the interest rate goes down, this is a good thing for the auto insurance holder. They will pay less interest on their fixed premium, and therefore save money. The problem lies when the interest rate goes up. Especially in South Africa's current economic situation, this can be expensive. If your premium is prone to rise of the interest rate, you could be paying a lot more than you expected.

This is why someone may consider the fixed / flat rate option. Overall it is a more costly monthly amount that you will pay in comparison to the annual escalation rate. It can easily seem like a rather expensive option when compared to the annual escalation fee. One would have to assess, given our current economic situation, whether this would be a wiser choice or not. The higher the interest rate climbs the more one will have to pay on the annual escalation rate. Sometimes, especially now with the national interest rate being so high, this amount can far surpass the seemingly expensive fixed rate option.

There is a safety in choosing the fixed rate option. Many people are very nervous when hearing updates on the state of the interest rate. Having to pay an increase on their car insurance premium can hurt their pockets quite substantially, especially with the rising cost of food and basic living. With the fixed rate option they will not have to worry about paying an exorbitant amount on their car insurance premium at the end of the month, because the fee that they will pay will not change. It may be a bit more expensive than the annual escalation fee in times of low interest rates, but it is an amount that they have agreed on and have come to expect to pay at the end of each month.

In retrospect, perhaps one who has chosen the fixed rate option will have to learn to look the other way in times of low interest rates. People do not want to think that they could be saving money each month had they taken the alternative option. Then again, with today's growing economic turmoil, choosing that alternative option is almost the same as gambling with something you have absolutely no control over.

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