It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want you shop around. People who shop around are highly likely to move their business because of the good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A recent survey discovered that people who compared prices regularly saved approximately $865 annually compared to drivers who never compared rates.
If saving money on auto insurance is the reason for your visit, learning how to find and compare car insurance can make shopping around easier.
The preferred way to find cheaper quotes for auto insurance rates is to do an annual price comparison from companies who provide auto insurance in Lincoln.
- First, take a few minutes and learn about how your policy works and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many risk factors that cause high rates such as high-risk driving behaviors and poor credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover additional ideas to help keep rates affordable and find hidden discounts.
- Second, request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple sources.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment for the new policy. Immediately upon receiving it, place the new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
A key point to remember is to make sure you’re comparing the same liability limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to compare as many companies as you can. This ensures a level playing field and the best rate selection.
Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Lincoln is not that difficult as long as you know where to start. If you already have coverage, you will definitely be able to lower your rates using these tips. Nevertheless, Nebraska vehicle owners must know how big insurance companies charge you for coverage and apply this information to your search.
Get Lower-cost Insurance Prices by Understanding These Factors
Lots of factors are used when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are more transparent such as your credit history or your vehicle rating. An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that could result in lower car insurance prices.
The items below are some of the major factors used by companies to determine your rates.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles that have high safety ratings get lower rates. Vehicles built for safety have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less which can result in lower premiums. If the Volkswagen Passat scored at minimum four stars on Safercar.gov you may pay a lower rate.
- Vocation and insurance rates – Jobs like real estate brokers, architects, and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates due to job stress and lengthy work days. On the other hand, jobs such as actors, athletes and homemakers have lower than average premiums.
- Your liability coverage limits – The liability section of your policy will provide protection if ever a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to other policy coverages, so do not skimp.
- Prices impacted by vehicle usage – The higher the miles on your Volkswagen every year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most insurance companies calculate prices based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars and trucks that have low annual miles cost less to insure than cars that get driven a lot. A policy that improperly rates your Passat may be costing you higher rates. It’s a good idea to make sure your car insurance policy is rated on the correct usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
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Loss statistics for a Volkswagen Passat – Insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to calculate a rate that will offset any claims. Models that the statistics show to have increased losses will have a higher cost to insure.
The information below illustrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Volkswagen Passat vehicles. For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is set at 100. Values that are below 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while values over 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or tendency to have higher losses.
Car Insurance Loss Data for Volkswagen Passat Models Vehicle Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Volkswagen Passat 101 99 99 111 113 102 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEData Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Auto insurance statistics and figures
The data table shown below outlines different insurance prices for Volkswagen Passat models. Being able to understand how policy premiums are established can be valuable when making smart choices when purchasing an insurance policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Passat Komfort Station Wagon | $204 | $420 | $332 | $20 | $100 | $1,076 | $90 |
Passat Komfort 4-Dr Sedan | $204 | $420 | $390 | $24 | $116 | $1,154 | $96 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Table data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Nebraska minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase premiums noticeably.
Where to set your deductibles
When shopping for auto insurance, a common question is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The rates below lay out the price difference when you buy lower versus higher policy deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second rate chart uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Passat Komfort Station Wagon | $292 | $548 | $254 | $16 | $76 | $1,211 | $101 |
Passat Komfort 4-Dr Sedan | $292 | $548 | $300 | $18 | $90 | $1,273 | $106 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Passat Komfort Station Wagon | $212 | $370 | $254 | $16 | $76 | $928 | $77 |
Passat Komfort 4-Dr Sedan | $212 | $370 | $300 | $18 | $90 | $990 | $83 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Nebraska minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can increase or decrease rates considerably.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible costs roughly $24 more each month or $288 each year than buying the higher $500 deductible. Since you would have to pay $400 more if you file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to average more than 17 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off by selecting a higher deductible.
The chart below demonstrates how deductibles and can change Volkswagen Passat insurance costs for different age groups. The information is based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.
Do you need full coverage?
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Volkswagen Passat annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Nebraska. The data is based on no violations or accidents, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
When to drop comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no exact formula of when to drop full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Volkswagen Passat claim settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $4,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing you more than $400 a year to have full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.
Lower-cost Lincoln car insurance quotes with discounts
Car insurance can be pricey, but you may qualify for discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. A few discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to receiving the credit. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are just wasting money.
- Buy New and Save – Putting insurance coverage on a new Passat can get you a discount because newer models keep occupants safer.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time as opposed to paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military can result in better car insurance rates.
- Good Grades Discount – Excelling in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students until age 25.
- Paper-free Discount – A few larger online companies will give you a small discount for buying your policy online.
- No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but a handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you haven’t had any claims before the accident.
- Student in College – Children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
Discounts save money, but please remember that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the fact that it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The information below illustrates the comparison of Volkswagen Passat yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The costs are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Nebraska state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-car, and marriage discounts applied.
A list of car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, membership and employees, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, anti-theft, air bags, and defensive driver.
- Mercury Insurance has discounts for professional/association, good driver, annual mileage, multi-car, anti-theft, location of vehicle, and ease of repair.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include alternative fuel, good student, teen driver, business and professional, bundle discounts, early shopping, and electronic funds transfer.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for anti-theft, multiple vehicles, mature driver, multi-policy, and anti-lock brakes.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for newly retired, new graduate, preferred payment discount, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, and teen driver discount.
- SAFECO discounts include teen safety rewards, anti-theft, drive less, teen safe driver, safe driver, multi-car, and accident prevention training.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, online signing, and good student.
- USAA may include discounts for military installation, loyalty savings, driver training, safe driver, multi-policy, and family discount.
If you want the cheapest Volkswagen Passat rate quotes, ask every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Nebraska, click here.
Lincoln car insurance companies
Buying coverage from a high-quality car insurance provider is hard considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Lincoln. The rank data in the lists below could help you pick which car insurance companies you want to consider comparing prices from.
Top 10 Lincoln Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- State Farm
- Nationwide
- Safeco Insurance
- American Family
- Travelers
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- The Hartford
- Farmers Insurance
Top 10 Lincoln Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 92%
- American Family – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Nationwide – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
- The Hartford – 87%
- Progressive – 87%
- AAA Insurance – 87%
- Farmers Insurance – 87%
- Liberty Mutual – 87%
Get the best coverage at the most affordable price
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
Affordable Volkswagen Passat insurance in Lincoln is definitely available from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should compare both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who may not offer the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller providers provide coverage only through independent agents.
More learning opportunities
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Seniors in Lincoln? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Felons in Lincoln? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Lincoln Auto Insurance Rates for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Subaru Outback in Lincoln? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 50 in Lincoln? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for 18 Year Olds in Lincoln? (FAQ)
- Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
- Side airbags reduce rollover fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)