Feel like you’re a prisoner to high-priced car insurance? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat. Consumers have many insurers to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it can be more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.
Consumers should take time to compare prices quite often because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the things you must know in order to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.
Shopping for cheaper coverage in Nanticoke is not that difficult. If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can use these techniques to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Pennsylvania drivers just need to understand the tricks to compare rates online.
Make smart decisions and save
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – The majority of insurers will award you with lower prices to people who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Rate your vehicle for proper use – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your car insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.
- Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your car insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Battle of the sexes – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. They both have accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving.
- Your job and insurance rates – Occupations such as doctors, social workers and accountants tend to have higher rates than average in part from job stress and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations such as pilots, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.
Don’t miss these discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
- Distant Student – Children who are attending college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.
- No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
- Senior Discount – Older drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.
To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in Pennsylvania, follow this link.
What if I want to buy from a local Nanticoke agent?
Some people prefer to sit down with an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local insurance agencies is especially important in Nanticoke.
For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your business. There is no reason to leave your house since price quotes are sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
When searching for a good Nanticoke insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that you can select. Nanticoke agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the differences since it may influence your selection of an agent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.
When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
Below are independent agencies in Nanticoke willing to provide competitive price quotes.
Nationwide Insurance – 75 N Market St – Nanticoke, PA 18634 – (570) 735-5033
T R Warkomski Insurance – 121 S Prospect St – Nanticoke, PA 18634 – (570) 735-8411
Agency Captives
Captive agencies work for only one company like State Farm or Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
Below are captive agents in Nanticoke who can help you get price quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 1 W Broad St – Nanticoke, PA 18634 – (570) 735-1900
For a full directory of car insurance agents in Nanticoke, please go to this site.
Choosing a car insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
- Who are their largest clients?
After receiving positive responses to these questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that can service your policy.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Consumers in Pennsylvania get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by Allstate and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise of big savings after switching to their company.
How can each company claim to save you money?
All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile must pay more money which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how companies can advertise the way they do.
This illustrates why you should get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
How do I know if I need professional advice?
When choosing the best car insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions could help you determine whether you would benefit from professional advice.
- Who is covered by my policy?
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- What is the minimum liability in Pennsylvania?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Additional information is located on the website for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department located here. Pennsylvania drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and report car insurance fraud.
Better coverage you can count on
We covered a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Geico and State Farm.
Cheap car insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Nanticoke insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.