Purchasing the lowest cost Oil City auto insurance online can be intimidating for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. With so many choices of online companies, how can Oil City drivers have a chance to compare them all to find the cheapest rates?
You should make it a habit to take a look at other company’s rates quite often because prices fluctuate regularly. Even if you got the lowest price last year other companies may now be cheaper. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance on the web, but with this article, you’re going to get some great ways to find cheap auto insurance.
Finding the best rates in Oil City is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Nevertheless, Pennsylvania car owners benefit from understanding the way companies sell online and take advantage of how the system works.
Quick Oil City Auto Insurance Quotes
There are multiple methods to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day talking to local insurance agents in Oil City, or you could save time and use the web to get pricing more quickly.
All the larger companies enroll in a system that enables customers to enter their policy data once, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that information. This eliminates the need for quote forms for every auto insurance company.
To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.
The single downside to comparing rates this way is you cannot specify the providers you will receive quotes from. If you prefer to choose individual companies to receive pricing from, we have a listing of auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania. Click here to view list.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use the exact same coverages on every quote. If you are comparing differing limits it’s not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Oil City. Having just a slight variation in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes provides better odds of finding the best rates.
Why your price might be higher
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in big savings.
The following are some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- Where you live can impact rates – Being located in a small town is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. City drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident.
- High deductibles save money – Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, or theft. The deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one ticket may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
- Mature drivers pay less – Young drivers in Pennsylvania are known to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
- Males pay more for insurance – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in Pennsylvania award lower rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
These discounts can lower your rates
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every available discount very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Paperwork-free – Certain companies will give a small break just for signing your application digitally online.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For a list of insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Oil City, click this link.
Comparing rates from local agents
Some people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to agents in your area who will battle for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.
Picking an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- How are they compensated?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
To select a specific agent in Oil City, please view this page.
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an provider that can service your policy.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Insureds who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high prices, poor customer service, delays in paying claims and not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
You just learned a lot of ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small local company.
Affordable auto insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Oil City agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and download brochures.