How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Allison Park

Are you sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in Pennsylvania.

With consumers having so many companies to choose from, it can be impossible to find the most affordable company.

It's important to price shop coverage once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best deal a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the proper way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are some of the factors that factor into rates.

Drive less and save money - Driving more miles every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Autos that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Verify your auto insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Rural vs Urban Areas - Being located in a small town can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Lower population means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Many auto insurance companies will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it's in your best interest to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Small claims can cost you - Car insurance companies in Pennsylvania give discounts to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as doctors, executives and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates in part from high stress and long work hours. On the other hand, professions such as farmers, students and performers pay the least.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.

Take advantage of discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but some must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.

New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
Anti-theft System - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, click this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save after switching your policy. But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's why insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More information is available on the website for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Click here for link. Pennsylvania drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Other informative sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Allison Park insurance agents.

Shop smart and save

When shopping online for auto insurance, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to many Allison Park insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.