Searching for cheap Syracuse car insurance on the internet can seem to be rather challenging for people who are new to comparing rates online. Since there are so many insurers available, how can consumers effectively compare every one to find the lowest price available?
You should take the time to take a look at other company’s rates on a regular basis because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out how to use online quotes to buy cheaper car insurance.
Save Money with These Tips
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.
- Big city or small town – Being located in a small town has it’s advantages when buying car insurance. Urban drivers regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer people means reduced accidents.
- Your age impacts your rates – Older drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are known to get distracted easily behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Pay less after the wedding – Getting married can get you a discount on car insurance. It means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the New York motor vehicle department.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.
- Do you know you’re credit rating? – Credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores.
- Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Liability insurance provides coverage if you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Compare Syracuse Car Insurance Costs
Most major insurance companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm provide prices on the web. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you simply enter the coverage amounts you desire into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the system automatically retrieves credit information and your driving record and returns pricing information based on many factors.
This streamlines rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit each company’s website and repetitively type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this if you are searching for lower prices.
There is a better way!
The easiest way to get multiple rate quotes uses one simple form to get prices from several companies at one time. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online price comparison much easier. After sending your information, it gets priced and you are able to buy your choice of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. It just takes a couple of minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To find out how much you can save on car insurance, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you input deductibles and limits as close as possible to your current policy. Doing this assures you are getting an apples-to-apples comparison for similar coverage.
Discounts can save BIG
Car insurance companies don’t always publicize all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
- Resident Student – Kids in college who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
- Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Good Student Discount – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
- Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Car Insurance through a local agent
A small number of people would rather visit with an insurance agent. Good agents can answer important questions and help file insurance claims. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the best rates and still choose a local agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is submitted to companies in Syracuse who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to your email. Now that’s easy!
Choosing an provider should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
The difference between Syracuse insurance agencies
When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different agency structures to choose from. Agencies in Syracuse are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the difference between them since it may influence the type of agent you choose
Agency Captives
Captive agencies write business for a single company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently buy from captive agents primarily because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Syracuse willing to provide comparison quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 1914 Teall Ave # 1 – Syracuse, NY 13206 – (315) 437-4456
- Allstate Insurance Co – 725 Erie Blvd W # 4 – Syracuse, NY 13204 – (315) 446-4663
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. They also have the ability to place coverage with different regional companies which may provide better rates.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Syracuse willing to provide price quotes.
- Combined Insurance Co – 301 Plainfield Rd # 200 – Syracuse, NY 13212 – (315) 451-5550
- Commerce and Industry Insurance – 420 E Genesee St – Syracuse, NY 13202 – (315) 422-9175
- David B Schultz Agency Inc – 472 S Salina St # 711 – Syracuse, NY 13202 – (315) 474-6419
- Jurkiewicz Agency – 1632 W Genesee St # 1 – Syracuse, NY 13204 – (315) 488-1760
- Upstate New York Agency Svc – 375 W Onondaga St # 22 – Syracuse, NY 13202 – (315) 471-3007
For a full directory of insurance agents in Syracuse, please click here.
Upon getting satisfactory answers to these questions as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that will properly insure your vehicles.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, and discover disciplinary actions.
More related Syracuse car insurance information:
More quotes mean more savings
Lower-priced car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Syracuse insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like being labeled a high risk driver, not issuing a premium refund, extreme rates for teen drivers and poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company can be easier than you think.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.