Free Guide to Spending Less for Erie Car Insurance Online

Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can dwindle your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Doing a price comparison is free and is an excellent way to cut your insurance bill. Numerous battle for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare to discover the definitive lowest rate

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can learn to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Erie is easy if you know what you're doing. Pennsylvania vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to shop their coverage around online.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies don't list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance. If they aren't giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Own a Home - Owning a home in Erie may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
Student Driver Training - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education in high school.
Defensive Driving Course - Completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
Student in College - Any of your kids who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
Auto/Life Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Save with a New Car - Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Auto/Home Discount - If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates it's possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

You have some control over your rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in lower car insurance prices.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

Don't sacrifice liability coverage - The liability section of your policy is the protection if you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Discounts for married couples - Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse means you're more mature than a single person and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea initially, but if they're wasting money get rid of them and save.
Older drivers pay less - More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Your location affects your rates - Residing in a rural area is a positive aspect when talking about car insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. City drivers have more traffic problems and much longer commute distances. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Pennsylvania get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make the same claim that you'll save big if you move to their company.

How do they all claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who do not match the "perfect" profile must pay more money which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. This is how companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More detailed Pennsylvania car insurance information is located at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, view a list of available companies, and discover disciplinary actions.

And the best car insurance company is...

Budget-conscious car insurance is possible both online and also from your neighborhood Erie agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.