Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are lots of people in the same boat.
Lots of car insurance companies contend for your hard-earned dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer and uncover the absolute cheapest price
Do you qualify for a discount?
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- Driver Safety – Completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 20% or more.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class in school.
- Accident Free – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more than their less cautious counterparts.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Babylon can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Save with a New Car – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
- Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.
What coverages do I need?
When buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions can help discover whether you may require specific advice.
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New York?
- Do no-fault laws apply in New York?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Babylon?
- How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Additional information can be found on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services found here. New York drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and file complaints about a company.
Other useful links include this site for rates in New York and this list of agents in Babylon, NY.
Online plus local equals savings
We’ve covered a lot of information how to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
Low-cost car insurance can be bought both online and also from your neighborhood Babylon agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.