If shopping for car insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to be confused by the sheer number of companies selling insurance in Islip.
How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Islip, NY
All the larger car insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico quote prices for coverage directly from their websites. Getting quotes is fairly simple as you simply type in your personal and coverage information into a form. Once entered, their rating system sends out for reports for credit and driving violations and quotes a price based on these factors.
Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit many different websites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to get the best price possible.
Compare rates the easy way
The preferred way to find lower prices makes use of a single form that gets prices from a lot of companies. It saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes online shopping much easier. After sending the form, it is rated and you can select any of the pricing results.
If the quotes result in lower rates, you can click and sign and buy the new coverage. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.
To quickly compare rates now, click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter your coverages as shown on your current policy. This guarantees you will get rate comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.
Many Things Influence your Rates
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.
- Adjust deductibles and save – Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Never go without insurance – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to increase your car insurance rates. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with the New York department of motor vehicles.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
- Mature drivers pay less – Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers tend to be more careless in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in New York give discounts to policyholders who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but a few need to be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
- Resident Student – Kids in college who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
- New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
There’s no such thing as the perfect policy
When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- What is the minimum liability in New York?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in New York?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New York?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Should I buy only the required New York minimum liability coverage?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.
More effort can pay off
We’ve covered some good ideas how to get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.
Discount car insurance can be bought both online and with local Islip insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
Insureds change insurance companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, denial of a claim, being labeled a high risk driver and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, finding a great new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
For more information
Additional car insurance information can be read on the New York Department of Financial Services website through this link. Consumers can learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, read state legal mandates and laws, and read consumer alerts.