Did you come to the realization that you have an expensive auto insurance policy? You’re in good company because there are many people just like you. There is such a variety of auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, more choices can make it harder to adequately compare rates.
You should take the time to compare premium rates periodically because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance out there, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn a lot of great tips on how to put money back in your pocket.
Lowering your auto insurance rates is pretty simple and can save money. The only requirement is to take a couple of minutes comparing rate quotes to find out which insurance company has . Insurance prices can be quoted by using one of the methods below.
- The easiest and least time consuming way consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This style of form saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for every company. One form gets coverage cost estimates from multiple low-cost companies.
- A slightly less efficient method to compare prices requires visiting each individual company website and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to get rates from Progressive, Farmers and Travelers. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to each individual site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, and that explains why we recommend the first method. To view a list of companies in Pittston, click here.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just make sure you use exactly the same coverages and limits with each company. If each company quotes different coverage information then you won’t be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Pittston.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Consumers in Pennsylvania can’t get away from all the ads that promise big savings for switching by State Farm and Allstate. They all seem to make an identical promise about how much you will save after switching your coverage to them.
How can each company sell you cheaper insurance coverage?
Most companies have strict underwriting profiles for a prospective insured that will not have excessive claims. For example, a profitable customer might have to be between the ages of 40 and 55, has a low-risk occupation, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any driver who fits those characteristics will get a cheap rate quote and will save money with a new company.
Potential customers who don’t meet the ideal profile will probably have to pay a higher rate and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best car insurance rates.
Each company has different criteria, so you absolutely need to compare price quotes frequently. It’s impossible to know with any certainty which company will have the best rates at this point in time.
Auto insurance quotes and discounts
Companies do not advertise their entire list of discounts very well, so we break down a few of the more well known and the more hidden credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Senior Discount – Mature drivers are able to get better auto insurance rates.
- Professional Organizations – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups could trigger savings on your bill.
- Distant College Student Discount – Children who live away from home to go to college and leave their car at home may qualify for this discount.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally until age 25.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings as much as 30%.
- Full Payment Discount – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but certain companies may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
Please keep in mind that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.
Larger auto insurance companies and their possible discounts include:
- State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, driver’s education, accident-free, safe vehicle, multiple policy, multiple autos, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Esurance includes discounts for online shopper, online quote, good student, defensive driver, good driver, multi-policy, and homeowner.
- Progressive may have discounts that include good student, multi-policy, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, online signing, and continuous coverage.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for new graduate, safety features, exclusive group savings, newly married, good student, and preferred payment discount.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for good student, mature driver, anti-theft, safe vehicle, air bags, and multi-policy.
- Geico offers discounts for federal employee, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, and anti-theft.
Double check with every insurance company to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not be available in your area. To choose auto insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Pennsylvania, click here to view.
Situations that may require an agent’s advice
When buying proper insurance coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Additional information is available on the website for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Click here for link. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, and read state legal mandates and laws.
You can lower your rates
Budget-friendly auto insurance can be purchased both online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide rate quotes online and usually these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to compare auto insurance car insurance rates online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of getting . You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with an unexpected company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.