Comparing can be challenging if you haven’t ever used rate quotes online. Don’t worry though because using the internet to shop for car insurance is actually quite easy.
It is always a good idea to compare prices quite often because car insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates six months ago other companies may now be cheaper. You can find a lot of information about car insurance out there, but in this article, you’re going to get some excellent ideas to reduce your car insurance bill.
Comparing car insurance rates can take hours if you aren’t aware of the easiest way. You could spend the better part of a day driving to local insurance agents in Prospect, or you could save time and use the web to get the quickest rates.
Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each company then returns a price quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to each individual car insurance company.
To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to doing it this way is you cannot specify the providers you want pricing from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of companies who write car insurance in Connecticut. Click to view list.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage data for each quote you get. If you enter different values for each quote it will be next to impossible to get a fair rate comparison in Prospect.
Use discounts to get cheaper Prospect car insurance quotes
Car insurance can be pricey, but you might already qualify for some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some of these disounts will be visible when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Multiple Cars – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple cars on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Have your child sucessfully take a drivers education course in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Telematics Devices – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to monitor where and when they drive through the use of a telematics system such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system might get better premium rates if they are good drivers.
- Auto/Life Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a lower price if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
Policy discounts save money, but most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
The best car insurance companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm offers discounts including safe vehicle, anti-theft, driver’s education, accident-free, passive restraint, and multiple autos.
- Nationwide may include discounts for business or organization, easy pay, defensive driving, accident-free, family plan, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- Geico offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, federal employee, air bags, multi-policy, driver training, and daytime running lights.
- AAA may offer discounts for anti-theft, multi-car, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, and pay-in-full.
- 21st Century has savings for homeowners, teen driver, student driver, good student, early bird, and 55 and older.
- The Hartford has discounts for air bag, bundle, good student, defensive driver, anti-theft, and driver training.
It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts might not apply in Prospect. To choose car insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Connecticut, click here to view.
Car insurance quotes from local neighborhood Prospect car insurance agents
Some consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Good insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap car insurance quotes and still buy from a local agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to companies in Prospect who will give you bids for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to search for any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered directly to you. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Choosing an company should include more criteria than just a cheap price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- How long have they been in business?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
Captive and independent Prospect car insurance agents
When searching for a good insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the types of agencies that you can choose from. Car insurance agents in Prospect are considered either independent or captive depending on the company they work for. Either type can insure your vehicles, but it’s a good idea to understand how they differ since it can impact your selection of an agent.
Captive Agencies
Captive agencies write business for a single company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so always compare other rates. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Drivers often buy from the same agent for years partially due to the brand name and solid financial strength.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents of this type do not have single company limitations so as a result can place your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. If premiums increase, they simply move your policy to a different company without you having to go to a different agency. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, it’s a good idea to get some free quotes from at least one independent agent to maximize your price options. Most have the option of insuring with additional companies that you may not be familiar with that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below are independent agents in Prospect who can help you get price quotes.
- Martin and Rowland Inc Insurance – 16 Waterbury Rd – Prospect, CT 06712 – (203) 756-3676
- Hughes Agency – 60 Waterbury Rd # 2c – Prospect, CT 06712 – (203) 758-6647
To view more car insurance agents in Prospect, you can view this list of car insurance providers in Prospect.
Lower the price of car insurance with these tips
One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. When consumers understand what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you much lower annual insurance costs.
- Insurance prices are higher for high performance vehicles – The performance of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates will generally be found on small economy passenger vehicles, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Marriage is a factor – Being married may save some money when buying car insurance. Marriage demonstrates that you tend to be more responsible and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Can a thief steal your car? – Buying a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Systems that thwart theives such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all help prevent auto theft.
- Big cities mean more claims – Being located in less populated areas of the country can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents in addition to fewer liability claims. Residents of big cities have to deal with more auto accidents and more severe claims. The longer drive time means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
Quote more, save more
You just read many ideas to reduce car insurance auto insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may be surprised to find that the best auto insurance rates are with the smaller companies.
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In too many instances, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
People who switch companies do it for many reasons like lack of trust in their agent, policy non-renewal, high prices or questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is not as hard as you think.
To learn even more about car insurance
More detailed Connecticut car insurance information can be found at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Connecticut drivers can read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and view agent and company licensing information.