Paying for high-priced car insurance can dwindle your checking account, especially in this economy. Comparing price quotes is free and is an excellent way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Many auto insurance companies compete for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies to find the lowest cost out there.
If you have a current car insurance policy or need a new policy, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Erie is quite easy. Pennsylvania drivers only need to know the most efficient way to compare price quotes over the internet.
Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Erie
Most major insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico allow you to get prices for coverage directly from their websites. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you just enter the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. When the form is submitted, the company’s rating system makes automated requests for reports for credit and driving violations and gives you a price quote based on these factors. Quoting online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit repetitive. But it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find a better rate.
A more efficient way to compare car insurance pricing utilizes a single form to return rates from a lot of companies. It saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes rate comparisons much more enjoyable and efficient. Immediately after you send the form, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy your choice of the resulting price quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.
To find out what other companies charge, click here and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter the limits and deductibles identical to your current policy. This ensures you are getting rate quotes for the exact same coverage.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Pennsylvania drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance from companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save after switching your policy.
How do they all say the same thing?
All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer might be profiled as a mature driver, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who do not match the requirements will be charged higher prices which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can make those claims. That is why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. You cannot predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-86.jpg" alt="Pennsylvania car insurance prices”/>
The following are some of the items car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- Choose a safe vehicle and save – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you will pay for car insurance. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Autos 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 rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Where you live – Being located in less populated areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. City drivers have to deal with traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Some companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
- Marriage brings a discount – Having a spouse helps lower the price on your policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that married couples file fewer claims.
- Extra coverages can waste money – There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and term life insurance may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Car insurance companies don’t always list every discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you are throwing money away.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- Senior Citizens – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Distant Student – Children living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, click here to view.
Shop online but buy locally
Certain consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!
Deciding on an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
Shown below are agents in Erie who can help you get rate quotes.
Historic Square Agency – 3731 W 26th St, Erie, PA 16506 – (814) 835-3743
Physicians Mutual Insurance Co – 3153 W 26th St, Erie, PA 16506 – (814) 833-2626
Nationwide Insurance – 1273 E 38th St, Erie, PA 16504 – (814) 825-3660
Allstate Insurance – 4108 Main St, Erie, PA 16511 – (814) 897-1442
State Farm Insurance – 4467 W Ridge Rd, Erie, PA 16506 – (814) 838-9328
After getting reasonable responses to these questions and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an provider that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
In conclusion
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, an insured cut full coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Low-cost car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Erie insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some car insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
Pennsylvania car insurance information
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Other useful links include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this list of agents in Erie, PA.