1996 Dodge Dakota Insurance Cost

Trying to find cheaper auto insurance rates for your Dodge Dakota? If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, there’s a good chance you are confused thanks to the huge assortment of insurance providers all offering big savings.

It is always a good idea to compare premium rates quite often since rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the lowest rate for Dakota coverage six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower price today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the best methods to find lower rates on auto insurance.

If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to save some money using these methods. The purpose of this post is to teach you the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. But car owners can benefit by having an understanding of how insurance companies price insurance differently and take advantage of how the system works.

Why your insurance costs might be higher

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining your policy premiums. If you understand what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that could help you find lower car insurance prices.

• Avoid coverage lapses – Driving without insurance coverage in place is not a good idea and companies may charge more for letting your insurance lapse. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage can result in fines or a revoked license.
• Job reflects on premiums – Occupations such as military personnel, business owners and accountants tend to have the highest average rates because of high stress and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, occupations such as actors, athletes and homemakers pay the least for Dakota coverage.
• Where you call home – Being located in less populated areas of the country can be a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. City drivers regularly have much more traffic and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents.
• Insure your auto and home with one company – Most car insurance companies provide lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, you still need to check prices from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates.

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Cheapest auto insurance quotes

The majority of larger companies allow you to get pricing from their websites. Getting quotes is fairly straightforward as you just type in on the page. Behind the scenes, their system will order information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price.

This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes if you are searching for lower prices.

A better way to find lower prices uses one simple form to obtain quotes from several different companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes comparison shopping much more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the quotes that you receive.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. This process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

If you want to find out if lower rates are available, click here and input your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you complete the form with as close as possible to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you’re receiving rate quotes for the exact same coverage.

The ad said I’d save $401 a year!

Respected companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all advertise the message that you can save if you get a free auto insurance quote and switch to their company. How is it possible that every company can offer you a better deal?

Insurance providers have strict underwriting profiles for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable risk might have to be between 30 and 50, has no claims, and has a high credit rating. Anyone who fits that profile will probably get cheap rates and therefore will save money with a new company.

Potential insureds who don’t meet the requirements will have to pay higher rates which translates to the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make claims like that.

This really drives home the point why drivers should get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to predict which insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Take policy discounts and save

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you might find some hidden discounts that you may not even be aware of. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be asked about before being credited.

• Own a Home – Owning a home can save a few bucks since home ownership demonstrates responsibility.
• Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy can save you some money since new vehicles have better safety ratings.
• First Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but some companies like Geico, Allstate and Liberty Mutual allow you one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you will save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having more than one vehicle on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Online Discount – A few car insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have better prices if you take out a life policy as well.
• Drive Safe and Save – Insureds who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% for Dakota coverage than drivers with accident claims.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Seniors can possibly qualify for a small discount on rates for Dakota coverage.

It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the fact that it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any amount of discount will help lower the cost of your policy.

Large car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.

• State Farm discounts include Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, defensive driving training, student away at school, and multiple autos.
• Nationwide may offer discounts for family plan, anti-theft, business or organization, defensive driving, and multi-policy.
• Geico has savings for seat belt use, good student, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, and military active duty.
• AAA includes discounts for good driver, pay-in-full, education and occupation, multi-car, and good student.
• 21st Century may include discounts for student driver, good student, 55 and older, air bags, and early bird.
• The Hartford has discounts for good student, air bag, anti-theft, bundle, vehicle fuel type, and driver training.

It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company to give you their best rates. Discounts may not be available everywhere. To find insurance companies who offer cheap car insurance quotes, click here to view.

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Which policy gives me the best coverage?

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• What is UM/UIM insurance?
• Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
• Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
• Am I covered if I break a side mirror?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.

What auto insurance coverages do you need?

Having a good grasp of auto insurance can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverage – This coverage pays for damage to your Dakota resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against things such as sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a mailbox, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your 1996 Dodge Dakota.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Usually these limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like rock chips in glass, hitting a deer and damage from getting keyed. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability auto insurance – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for 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 limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage pays for things like medical expenses, legal defense fees, attorney fees and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for expenses like X-ray expenses, funeral costs, pain medications, hospital visits and EMT expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Final considerations

Lower-priced auto insurance is available from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and these small, regional companies prefer to sell through local independent agencies.

Drivers switch companies for many reasons like denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or policy cancellation. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company is not as hard as you think.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Additional auto insurance information is available at the links below

• Older Drivers FAQ (iihs.org)
• Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
• Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)

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