How Much Does 1998 GMC S-15 Jimmy Insurance Cost?

Looking for lower car insurance rates for your GMC S-15 Jimmy? Are you intimidated by the dozens of car insurance options? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many options available that it can be a lot of work to locate the lowest price.

Insurance Coverage Prices

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from local insurance coverage companies. The quickest method to compare 1998 GMC S-15 Jimmy insurance prices is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

  1. The most efficient way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for each company. Just one form will return quotes from all major companies. This is by far the quickest method.
  2. A less efficient way to analyze rates is going to the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For example, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Progressive, Esurance and Farmers. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using identical coverages for every company. If you enter different deductibles you can’t possibly make an equal comparison. Just a small difference in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. It’s important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.

Do drivers who switch really save $411 a year?

Insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make the same claim that you’ll save big if you switch your policy. How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a driver they prefer might be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. Any driver who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for these standards must pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. This is how companies can advertise the way they do.

This illustrates why you absolutely need to get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Pieces of the GMC S-15 Jimmy insurance rate puzzle

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating your insurance coverage rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate premiums.

  • Too many insurance coverage claims drive up costs – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies give lower rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you. If your GMC scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Occupation reflects on rates – Did you know your insurance coverage rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as judges, architects and accountants tend to have higher rates than average due to high stress and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as scientists, athletes and performers receive lower rates on S-15 Jimmy insurance.
  • Car features impact rates – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent auto theft.
  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts – The majority of insurers give discounts to people who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by buying insurance coverage from a different company.
  • Liability coverage is peace of mind – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

  • Good Student Discount – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
  • No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount on S-15 Jimmy insurance with select insurance companies.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Driver’s Ed – Have your child enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of companies offering insurance discounts, click this link.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions might point out if you could use an agent’s help.

  • If my 1998 GMC S-15 Jimmy is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?
  • Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
  • Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.

Auto insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hail damage, hitting a bird, vandalism and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses like rehabilitation expenses, dental work, pain medications and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Auto liability

This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and 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. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage protects against things such as attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance covers damage to your S-15 Jimmy resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for claims like scraping a guard rail, sideswiping another vehicle, rolling your car, backing into a parked car and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Make a quick buck

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can shop for 1998 GMC S-15 Jimmy insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small mutual company.

Lower-priced insurance is definitely available online and with local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not offer online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

People leave their current company for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, poor customer service, policy non-renewal and being labeled a high risk driver. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

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