Proven Ways to Save on Brackenridge Auto Insurance

Tired of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other Pennsylvania drivers.

Drivers have multiple to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, it can be more challenging to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to use online quotes to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but a few need to be asked for prior to getting the savings.

  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
  • No Accidents - Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to bad drivers.
  • E-sign - A few companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Senior Discount - Mature drivers may be able to get better auto insurance rates.
  • Homeowners Pay Less - Being a homeowner may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Resident Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, follow this link.

Pennsylvania auto insurance

Cheap Brackenridge Auto Insurance Comparisons

The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. The best method to compare insurance prices is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for separate forms for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from several companies.
  • A harder way to shop for auto insurance online requires visiting each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we'll assume you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Brackenridge, click here.
  • The least efficient way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to and from local Brackenridge insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we'll touch on that later.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just ensure you're using identical quote information on every quote you get. If you use mixed coverages it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Brackenridge. Just a small difference in coverages may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate the best offered rates.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Poor credit can mean higher rates - Your credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores.
  • Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like lawyers, architects and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates because of high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, engineers and performers receive lower rates.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. Marriage means you're more responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Women pay lower rates - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Both sexes have accidents in similar percentages, but men have costlier accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
  • Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Teenage drivers in Pennsylvania are known to be less responsible in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles you can purchase if you aren't careful. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if they're wasting money eliminate them to save money.
  • Where you live can impact rates - Being located in small towns and rural areas has it's advantages when buying auto insurance. City drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing about savings after switching to their company. How does each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

That is why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Affordable insurance is out there

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small local company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web and also from your neighborhood Brackenridge agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

Learn more today

Additional information can be found on the website for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department located here. Pennsylvania drivers can find out industry alerts, read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, and learn about insurance regulations.