Are you a victim of an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, many Johnstown consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy. Drivers have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, too many choices makes it more difficult to find the lowest cost provider.
Finding the best rates in Johnstown is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you can use this information to get lower rates and possibly find even better coverage. Pennsylvania vehicle owners only need an understanding of the most effective way to compare prices online.
How to Get Car Insurance in Johnstown, PA
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can take hours if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You can waste a lot of time talking to agents in Johnstown, or you can stay home and use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Many of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and each participating company can give them a price based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company you want a rate for.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to open in new window.
The single downside to using this type of system is you are unable to specify the companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Pennsylvania. View list of Pennsylvania insurance companies.
Which method you use is up to you, but be sure to compare the exact same information with each company. If each company quotes different values for each quote it’s impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Johnstown.
Is there deception in advertising?
Pennsylvania drivers can’t get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you switch to their company.
How do they all say the same thing?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay more money which leads to business not being written. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.
Be sure to get all your discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
- Good Student – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
- E-sign – A few companies will give a small break just for signing your application digitally online.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home in Johnstown can save you money because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To choose companies who offer car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, follow this link.
Neighborhood agents for car insurance
Certain consumers would rather talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After completing this quick form, your information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Johnstown who will compete to get your business. You don’t have to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to your email.
Picking an insurer shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- Are they full-time agents?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Pennsylvania?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
The difference between Johnstown car insurance agents
If you’re trying to find a good Johnstown insurance agent, there are two types of agencies to choose from. Johnstown agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know the difference between them because it can influence buying decisions.
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents work for only one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
Listed below are Johnstown captive insurance agencies who can help you get price quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 969 Eisenhower Blvd # B – Johnstown, PA 15904 – (814) 266-4883
State Farm Insurance – 938 Mount Airy Dr # 203 – Johnstown, PA 15904 – (814) 495-7631
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Johnstown willing to provide rate quotes.
Barkhimer Insurance Agency – 225 Vine St – Johnstown, PA 15901 – (814) 536-8744
Dudek Insurance – 448 Strayer St – Johnstown, PA 15906 – (814) 536-1500
Larry S Neal Agency – 801 Scalp Ave # 106 – Johnstown, PA 15904 – (814) 266-6314
D Allen Brant Agency – 532 Goucher St – Johnstown, PA 15905 – (814) 255-7145
Barnhardt-Roberts Insurance – 422 Main St # 204a – Johnstown, PA 15901 – (814) 539-6082
For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Johnstown, please go to this site.
After getting reasonable responses to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an insurance agency that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage. But remember, you can always cancel a policy at any time so don’t assume that you are obligated to any particular company for any length of time.
Specifics of your car insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability can pay for claims like attorney fees, structural damage, emergency aid, funeral expenses and medical services. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Pennsylvania state law requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/5,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
This coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (Pennsylvania limits are 15/30/5), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Collision coverage
This pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as crashing into a ditch, scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car, crashing into a building and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive protection
This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer and theft. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical expense coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like funeral costs, X-ray expenses, hospital visits, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Even more information is available at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, read industry bulletins, and file complaints about a company.
Also read more on FindNewCarInsurance.com and this list of insurance agents in Johnstown.
Quote more, save more
You just read a lot of information how to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the most savings is with an unexpected company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Geico and State Farm.
When shopping online for car insurance, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.