Having to pay for expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your accounts and force you to tighten up your finances. Price shopping at each renewal is a smart way to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Numerous auto insurance companies battle for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every company and get the definite lowest rate possible.
If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Eastchester is quite easy. But New York drivers need to learn how big insurance companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.
Slash your auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize every discount they offer very well, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Active or former government employment can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems could see savings of 20% or more.
- Organization Discounts – Being in a civic or occupational organization in Eastchester is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking time to complete a defensive driving course is a good idea and can lower rates depending on where you live.
- Telematics Data – Drivers that enable their insurance company to scrutinize where and when they drive through the use of a telematics system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease if they show good driving skills.
- Safe Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than their less cautious counterparts.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can earn substantially lower rates.
As a footnote on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you aren’t that lucky.
Large auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for driver training, renewal discount, multi-policy, safe driver, youthful driver, and 55 and retired.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include new move discount, hybrid vehicle, new vehicle discount, multi-car, and preferred payment discount.
- State Farm discounts include defensive driving training, anti-theft, multiple policy, driver’s education, and good driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for group or association, student away at school, paperless, company car, and mature driver.
- Geico includes discounts for good student, multi-policy, federal employee, anti-theft, driver training, and daytime running lights.
- SAFECO has savings for accident prevention training, safe driver, teen safety rewards, homeowner, anti-theft, and bundle discounts.
Before buying, ask all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policies in Eastchester.
Ways to get auto insurance rate quotes in Eastchester, New York
All the larger auto insurance companies allow you to get insurance quotes from their websites. Obtaining pricing is fairly simple as you just enter your coverage preferences into the quote form. When complete, the system collects information on your driving record and credit history and provides a quote based on the information you submitted. Online price quotes makes it easy to compare insurance prices but the time required to go to each company’s website and repetitively type in your information can get tiresome after awhile. But it is imperative to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find a better rate.
A more efficient way to compare rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from several different companies. This type of form saves time, reduces the work, and makes quoting online a little more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated and you are able to buy your choice of the pricing results. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. This process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
If you want to find out how much you’re overpaying now, click here and fill out the form. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you enter the coverage information as close as possible to your current policy. Doing this assures you will be getting an apples-to-apples comparison using the same coverage and limits.
Get cheaper prices by understanding these factors
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that help calculate your auto insurance rates. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that can earn you big savings. Lots of things are considered when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but some are not quite as obvious such as your marital status or your commute time.
The following are some of the items used by companies to determine prices.
- Better credit means lower rates – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in determining what you pay. If your credit score can be improved, you could save money insuring your vehicle if you improve your credit rating. Insureds that have very good credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower ratings.
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less passed on to you as lower rates. If your car has at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may be receiving a better rate.
- Lower auto insurance rates for being claim-free – Companies in New York give better rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you file a lot of claims you can pretty much guarantee higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Driving citations drive up premiums – Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Getting just one citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who have gotten serious violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to complete a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The type of vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a huge difference in your rates. The lowest rates will generally be found on the lowest performance passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Your location is a factor – Choosing to live in a rural area may provide you with better prices when it comes to auto insurance. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers in populated New York areas tend to have more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. The longer drive time means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Being married can lower rates – Having a significant other may cut your premiums compared to being single. Having a spouse generally demonstrates drivers are less irresponsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Local Eastchester insurance agents
Certain consumers still like to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is just fine! A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you can get cheap rate quotes and also buy local.
After completing this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Eastchester who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent to you. You can find lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you wish to get a rate quote from a specific auto insurance provider, you just need to visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right insurer should include more criteria than just a cheap price quote. Any good agent should know the answers to these questions.
- Will they give you a referral list?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
Eastchester auto insurance agents come in two flavors
If you need to find a local Eastchester insurance agent, you should know the different types of agencies and how they can service your needs differently. Insurance agencies in Eastchester can be categorized as either independent or captive.
Captive Agencies
These agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Captive agents are usually well trained in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Eastchester who can help you get price quotes.
Allstate Insurance Co – 132 Fisher Ave – Eastchester, NY 10709 – (914) 961-1192
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are appointed with more than one company and that gives them the ability to insure with an assortment of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they find a lower price, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you definitely need to include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.
Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Eastchester that are able to give rate quotes.
Lisa Vitiello Insurance Inc – 281 White Plains Rd – Eastchester, NY 10709 – (914) 337-4810
Lisa Vitiello Insurance Inc – 282 White Plains Rd – Eastchester, NY 10709 – (914) 337-4810
To view additional auto insurance agents in Eastchester, please visit this list of Eastchester, NY auto insurance agents.
Brand name doesn’t guarantee savings
Popular auto insurance providers such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to try to convey promises that you’ll save big if you move your auto insurance policy to them. How do they all charge less that you’re paying now? You have to listen carefully.
Auto insurance companies have specific criteria for the type of insured that will generate a profit. A good example of this type of risk profile should be between 25 and 40, has a clear driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Anybody who matches that profile receive the lowest rate quotes and will most likely pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who cannot meet this stringent profile may be required to pay more expensive rates and ends up with the prospect going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much when switching. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of these techniques, you absolutely need to compare quotes as often as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will provide you with the cheapest car insurance rates.
In the end, you save
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to save on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, but do not skimp to save money.
Even more information is available at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this list of insurance agents in Eastchester, NY.