If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get more affordable auto insurance rates is to regularly compare price quotes from providers in Nashville.
- First, spend some time learning about how your policy works and the things you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates like speeding tickets, accidents and a not-so-good credit rating can be amended by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Second, obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for a wide range of companies.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you can save money and change companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
The most important part of shopping around is to use identical coverages on each price quote and and to compare every insurance company. This provides a fair price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
It’s safe to assume that car insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Consumers who shop rates annually are likely to buy a different policy because the odds are good of finding a more affordable policy premium. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that drivers who regularly compared price quotes saved on average $3,450 over four years compared to those who don’t regularly compare prices.
If finding the cheapest price on Volkswagen Rabbit insurance is why you’re reading this, then having a good understanding how to find and compare insurance premiums can help make the process easier and more efficient.
Auto insurance company ratings
Insuring your vehicle with a good quality auto insurance company is difficult considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Nashville. The company ratings in the next section could help you pick which providers you want to consider when looking for cheaper rates.
Top 10 Nashville Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- Travelers
- Allstate
- Nationwide
- State Farm
- GEICO
- Liberty Mutual
- American Family
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Titan Insurance
Top 10 Nashville Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- Mercury Insurance
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- Erie Insurance
- Esurance
- The General
Auto insurance coverages
Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like falling objects, damage from getting keyed, hitting a deer and damage from flooding. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for immediate expenses for things like X-ray expenses, doctor visits, pain medications, EMT expenses and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Volkswagen Rabbit.
Since many Tennessee drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/15 in Tennessee), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Collision coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, driving through your garage door, hitting a parking meter and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible on your Rabbit to save money on collision insurance.
Liability car insurance – This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/15 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $15,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for claims like emergency aid, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, legal defense fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Tennessee state minimum liability requirements are 25/50/15 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
The next chart demonstrates why minimum state limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Smart consumers save more
Some insurance companies don’t offer rate quotes online and these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agencies. More affordable insurance in Nashville can be purchased online and with local Nashville insurance agents, so you need to compare both to have the best selection.
We just showed you some good ideas how to compare Volkswagen Rabbit insurance prices in Nashville. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from the smaller companies. They may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.
Helpful learning opportunities
- How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Infrequent Drivers in Nashville? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Nissan Versa in Nashville? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a 20 Year Old Male in Nashville? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Low Mileage Drivers in Nashville? (FAQ)
- How Much is Nashville Auto Insurance for 18 Year Olds? (FAQ)
- Automakers compete to add autobraking (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Child Safety FAQ (iihs.org)
- Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
- Five Mistakes to Avoid (Insurance Information Institute)