How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Masontown

Expensive car insurance can empty your savings account, especially in this economy. Comparison shopping is a smart way to lower your monthly bill. Having so many companies to choose from, it can be challenging to find the right company.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are some of the factors that factor into prices.

Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
Teen drivers pay high rates - Young drivers in Pennsylvania are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving so car insurance rates are higher. If you've ever had to add a young driver onto your car insurance can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The performance of the car you are buying insurance for makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Clean credit earns discounts - Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. So if your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have poor credit.
Increase deductibles and save - Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.

Free Masontown Car Insurance Quotes

Reducing your insurance rates is not a difficult process. Just spend a little time comparing rates online from several insurance companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method eliminates the need for a different quote to each individual car insurance company. One form will return quotes .
Another way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website of each company and request a quote. For sake of this example, let's assume you want comparison quotes from , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Masontown, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to waste gas driving to different agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed agents. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll talk about that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverages and limits with every price quote. If you enter different deductibles then you won't be able to find the best deal in Masontown.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every discount very well, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
Passive Restraints - Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Own a Home - Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, follow this link.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings if you switch your policy.

But how can every company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why you need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

How to know if you need help

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent's assistance.

What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Should I buy only the required Pennsylvania minimum liability coverage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Even more information is available at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Consumers can view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about specific coverages, and find out industry alerts.

Other informative sites include this page for car insurance prices in Pennsylvania and this list of insurance agents in Masontown, PA.

In the end, you save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

We just showed you a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like .