If price shopping auto insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to be confused by the large number of online companies all offering big savings in Easton.
This information will tell you how to get online quotes. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Although Pennsylvania consumers need to have an understanding of how big insurance companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but some must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Fewer annual miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Easton may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your premiums.
To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Easton, follow this link.
But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent
Some consumers just want to talk to a local agent and that is OK! One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local agencies is important particularly in Easton.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to insurance agents in Easton who will battle for your coverage. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! Get lower rates and a licensed agent to work with.
What types of insurance agencies are in Easton?
When researching a good Easton insurance agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Easton are either independent or captive.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you should always include at least one independent agent to get the best comparison. Most have the option of insuring with different regional companies which can save you money.
Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Easton that may be able to provide price quote information.
- Cooke Agency – 606 Stones Crossing Rd – Easton, PA 18045 – (610) 258-9675
- Prudential Insurance Co – – Easton, PA 18042 – (610) 923-9090
- Prudential Insurance Co – – Easton, PA 18042 – (610) 923-9090
Agency Captives
These agents can only place business with one company like State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are trained well on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to choose to use a captive agent mainly due to loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.
Listed below are captive agents in Easton willing to provide rate quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 2925 William Penn Hwy # 101 – Easton, PA 18045 – (610) 250-8690
For a complete listing of captive agents in Easton, go to this page.
Picking an insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price. These questions are important to ask:
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Pennsylvania?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Are they full-time agents?
Once you have received reasonable responses to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that is a good match to provide auto insurance coverage.
Learn about auto insurance coverages
Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Liability
This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for things such as loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage, medical services and funeral expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Pennsylvania requires drivers to carry at least 15,000/30,000/5,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses like ambulance fees, doctor visits, pain medications, nursing services and prosthetic devices. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision coverage
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for things such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for 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 insurance covers claims like hitting a bird, hail damage, theft, hitting a deer and damage from flooding. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Some additional reading
Much more information about auto insurance in Pennsylvania can be read on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website through this link. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and download brochures.
Keep this in mind
We just covered a lot of tips how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
When you buy insurance online, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
Affordable auto insurance is possible online as well as from independent agents in Easton, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. A few companies don’t offer online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.