I can’t think of a single person who likes paying for auto insurance, in particular when the price is too high.
Because there are so many companies and agents to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to choose the most cost effective insurer.
The purpose of this post is to tell you the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using this information. But Connecticut vehicle owners must understand the way insurance companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.
How to Buy Stratford Auto Insurance Online
There are a variety of methods you can shop for auto insurance but some are less time-consuming than others. You could spend your day talking about coverages with insurance companies in Stratford, or you can utilize the internet to quickly compare rates.
Most of the best insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and every company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for every auto insurance company.
To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is that consumers can’t choose which insurance companies you will receive quotes from. So if you want to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in Connecticut. Click to view list.
Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you have higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Stratford. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing a large number of companies helps locate the best price.
Advertising myths
Companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads on television and other media. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you move your policy. How do they all make almost identical claims?
Different companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. A driver who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can state the savings.
Because of the profiling, you need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Take discounts and save
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for better auto insurance rates.
- Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
- Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will cut your premiums.
To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Stratford, click here to view.
Neighborhood agents for auto insurance
Certain consumers would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find better rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local insurance agencies is important particularly in Stratford.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents in Stratford who will battle for your business. You won’t need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent to your email. How cool is that?! Get lower rates and work with a local agent.
Types of insurance agents
When searching for an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures that you can select. Stratford agents are either independent or captive.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.
Shown below is a list of independent agents in Stratford that may be able to provide price quotes.
Boccarossa Insurance – 2499 Main St – Stratford, CT 06615 – (203) 378-9381
Thomas Edward Agency Inc – 1825 Barnum Ave # 301 – Stratford, CT 06614 – (203) 377-0405
Funaro Insurance – 2900 Main St # 1a – Stratford, CT 06614 – (203) 378-2621
Gabriel Agency – 1516 Barnum Ave – Stratford, CT 06614 – (203) 502-5000
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. They generally cannot give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. They are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a list of captive insurance agencies in Stratford that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 3589 Main St – Stratford, CT 06614 – (203) 381-0320
State Farm Insurance – 3657 Main St – Stratford, CT 06614 – (203) 377-5167
For a complete listing of captive agents in Stratford, please view this page.
Deciding on an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
Once you have received answers to your satisfaction to your questions as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that is a good match to service your policy.
Much more information about auto insurance in Connecticut can be found on the website for the Connecticut Insurance Department found here. Connecticut consumers can learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, and read industry bulletins.
Other useful links include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.
Quote often and quote early
You just read quite a bit of information on how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the most savings is with the least-expected company. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Low-cost auto insurance is attainable online in addition to many Stratford insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.