Tightwads Tips for Saving on Chesterbrook Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me when I say there are many Chesterbrook consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance. There is such a variety of to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Chesterbrook is easy if you know what you're doing. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Pennsylvania vehicle owners just need to know the proper way to find the lowest price on the web.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Shown below are some of the items that factor into premiums.

  • Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages for personal injury protection, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, damage from fire, or theft. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania provide lower rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.
  • Cautious drivers pay less - Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Just one ticket may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Drive a safer car and pay less - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Car insurance companies don't list all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Organization Discounts - Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Chesterbrook may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
  • Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
  • Air Bag Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
  • Student in College - Children living away from home attending college and don't have a car may be able to be covered for less.
  • Safety Course Discount - Completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Pennsylvania, follow this link.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Consumers in Pennsylvania can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big if you change your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer might be between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when switching.

Drivers who don't measure up to these standards must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can state the savings. This illustrates why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

More detailed Pennsylvania auto insurance information can be read at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, report car insurance fraud, and download brochures.

In the end, you save

Discount auto insurance is attainable both online in addition to many Chesterbrook insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed collision coverage and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.