Tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than many other Pennsylvania drivers.
Numerous insurers battle for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies to discover the definitive lowest rate
It’s a great practice to check car insurance prices yearly since rates change frequently. Even if you got the best price six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out one of the quickest ways to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
If you have car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Buying car insurance in Scranton is not that difficult. Nevertheless, Pennsylvania consumers do need to know the way companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Scranton Car Insurance Prices Online
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to get quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way by far to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.
- Probably the best way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for each company you want a rate for. One quote request will get you rate comparisons from many national carriers.
- A more time consuming way to compare prices consists of going to each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Farmers, Progressive and Liberty Mutual. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Scranton, click here.
- The least recommended way to compare rates is to waste gas driving to and from local Scranton insurance agencies. Buying insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you require the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can comparison shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverage limits on every quote you get. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to determine the best price in Scranton. Slightly different coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting better pricing.
Discounts are basically free money
Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
- Distant Student – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Sign Online – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, click this link.
Many Things Influence your Rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better car insurance rates.
- Increase deductibles and save – The deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and burglary. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- Sex matters – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Policy add-ons can waste money – There are many extra coverages that can waste your money on your car insurance policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
- Liability coverage is cheap – The liability section of your policy is the protection if a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- The more you drive the more you pay – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle.
- High crash test scores lower rates – Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
- Frequent car insurance claims increase rates – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania award discounts to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.
Neighborhood agents for car insurance
A small number of people prefer to visit with an insurance agent. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find better rates and still have an agent to talk to.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to insurance agents in Scranton who will return price quotes for your business. There is no reason to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Picking an insurer requires more thought than just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- How long has their agency been open in Scranton?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
Choose the right car insurance agent
When searching for a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures to choose from. Agents are either independent or captive.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only place business with one company such as Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
The following is a list of captive agencies in Scranton who can help you get comparison quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 2002 Pittston Ave – Scranton, PA 18505 – (570) 348-4300
Allstate Insurance – 505 Scranton Carbondale Hwy – Scranton, PA 18508 – (570) 343-5811
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Listed below are Scranton independent insurance agents that can give you price quote information.
Gary Di Bileo Agency – 302 S Main Ave – Scranton, PA 18504 – (570) 969-1855
State Farm Insurance Agency – 2261 Scranton Carbondale Hwy – Scranton, PA 18508 – (570) 344-2308
Jerry W Donahue Insurance Inc – 300 N Keyser Ave – Scranton, PA 18504 – (570) 941-3444
Paul Shedlauskas Insurance – – Scranton, PA 18504 – (570) 347-7285
For a full directory of insurance agents in Scranton, visit this link.
After receiving reasonable responses for all questions you ask and an acceptable price quote, it’s possible that you found an auto insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Pennsylvania drivers can read consumer alerts, file complaints about a company, find out industry alerts, and learn about specific coverages.
Shop smart and save
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from a small mutual company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.
Cost effective car insurance can be purchased both online in addition to many Scranton insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.