I can’t think of anyone who enjoys paying for auto insurance, particularly when the price is too high. Lots of insurance companies contend for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer and get the best coverage at the lowest price
It’s a good habit to check auto insurance prices once or twice a year because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Even if you think you had the best price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the easiest way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
If you have a current auto insurance policy or need new coverage, you can learn to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Finding the best rates in Albany is not rocket science. New York drivers just need to know the tricks to get comparison quotes online.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Companies do not advertise every discount very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you don’t get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Club Memberships – Belonging to a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
- Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a set time period.
It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
How to Compare Auto Insurance in Albany, NY
Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can take hours if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can spend your afternoon talking to agents in Albany, or you can utilize the web to get prices fast.
Many of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.
The only downside to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose which companies to get quotes from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a page of auto insurance companies in New York. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use exactly the same coverages on every quote you get. If you enter unequal deductibles or liability limits then you won’t be able to find the best deal in Albany.
Online plus local equals savings
We’ve covered many tips how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with the least-expected company. They may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price while still protecting your assets.