When searching for cheaper insurance, are you baffled by the dozens of auto insurance sources in Clifton Park? Many other people are too. Drivers have so many options that it is a real hassle to find better premium rates. Clifton Park is an excellent city in which to live, but the high cost of auto insurance can make it nearly impossible to affordably buy enough coverage.
It’s a good idea to quote other rates as often as possible since insurance prices are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates at your last renewal you may be paying too much now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to use online quotes to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
Buy Clifton Park auto insurance online
There are a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance, but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You can waste hours talking about coverages with insurance companies in Clifton Park, or you could use online quotes to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many insurance companies belong to a marketplace where prospective buyers submit their information once, and each participating company can provide price quotes for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for every auto insurance company. To participate in this free quote system, click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which insurance companies to get pricing from. If you wish to select specific insurance companies to compare, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in New York. Click here for list of insurance companies in New York.
However you get your quotes, make sure you compare exactly the same coverages and limits with each company. If your comparisons have different deductibles you will not be able to make an equal comparison in Clifton Park. Quoting even small variations in coverages could throw off the whole comparison. Keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates gives you a better chance of getting the best price.
Are you receiving every discount?
Auto insurance is not inexpensive, but you may be missing some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some of these disounts will be visible at quote time, but some need to be specially asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Drive Less and Save – Low annual miles may enable drivers to earn substantially lower premium rates.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance because it requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Distant Student Discount – Children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- ABS Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles have fewer accidents and will save you 10% or more.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will save you 10% or more.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few companies give discounts for signing up before your current coverage expires. It could save around 10% when you .
- Telematics Data Discounts – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to study driving manner by using a telematic data system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates if they are good drivers.
- Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Professional Memberships – Having an affiliation with qualifying clubs or civic groups could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
Don’t be surprised that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
Popular auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- State Farm may offer discounts for multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, driver’s education, safe vehicle, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for teen driver, mature driver, homeowner, multi-car, and distant student.
- Geico may include discounts for driver training, good student, air bags, multi-vehicle, and seat belt use.
- American Family offers discounts including Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, early bird, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, and bundled insurance.
- Nationwide may have discounts that include easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, multi-policy, accident-free, defensive driving, and family plan.
- Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, good student, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
If you need lower rates, check with all the companies which discounts you qualify for. Some credits may not apply to policyholders in every state. To find insurance companies who offer cheap auto insurance quotes in New York, click this link.
Four tips to get lower Clifton Park auto insurance prices
Lots of things are used in the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable such as traffic violations, but other criteria are more obscure such as your credit history or how safe your car is. Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get lower premium levels.
The itemized list below are a few of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set rates.
- Car and home together may be cheaper – Most companies afford lower prices to buyers who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even if you already get this discount, it’s always a smart idea to compare other insurance prices to ensure the best deal.
- Decrease premiums by maintaining coverage – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage will get you fines and jail time. You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the New York DMV.
- Less chance of injury means lower auto insurance rates – Cars with high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection means less claims paid which can mean better rates for you.
- Your address can modify price – Having an address in areas with lower population is a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. Residents of big cities tend to have more road rage incidents and more time behind the wheel. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accident claims as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
Drivers who switch save $483 a year? Really?
Auto insurance companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive endlessly run ads on TV and radio. All the ads convey the message that drivers will save a bundle if you move your coverage to them. It sounds good, but how can they all charge lower premium rates? It’s all in the numbers.
Auto insurance companies offer their best rates for the driver that will most likely be profitable. For example, this type of risk profile could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, has a clean driving record, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest prices and will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who do not fit the “perfect” profile will probably have to pay more expensive rates and ends up with the customer buying from someone else. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save the amount stated. That’s the way companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you absolutely need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s impossible to know the company that will be your best fit.
Cheaper coverage is out there
People switch companies for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices or even delays in paying claims. Whatever your reason, switching companies is not as hard as you think.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at the best cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Lower-priced auto insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Clifton Park insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies sell through independent insurance agents.
Online resources for education
More detailed New York auto insurance information is located at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, and get help finding coverage.
Additional helpful sites include this resource for New York auto insurance prices and this list of agents in Clifton Park, NY.