Best Way to Find Low-Cost New Bethlehem Car Insurance

If you're new to shopping for car insurance online, it's easy to be confused by the large number of car insurance companies competing for business in New Bethlehem.

It's important to price shop coverage occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the proper way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so here is a list both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance.

Bundle and Save - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
Theft Prevention System - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Pennsylvania, click this link.

Finding Car Insurance Deals in New Bethlehem, PA

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from different New Bethlehem insurance companies. The best method to find competitive insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This form saves time by eliminating separate quotes to each individual car insurance company. A single form will get you price quotes instantly. Just one form and you're done.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online requires a visit to the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For instance, we'll assume you want to compare , and . To find out each rate you need to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in New Bethlehem, click here.
The hardest method of getting rate comparisons to insurance agents' offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed New Bethlehem agents. Drivers can obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and you'll learn how to do that later.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverage limits for every company. If you are comparing differing limits then you won't be able to decipher which rate is best in New Bethlehem. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in large price differences. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more company's prices gives you a better chance of getting better pricing.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

Shown below are some of the factors that factor into rates.

Big city or small town - Living in less populated areas can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Drivers in populated areas have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some car insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Do you need those extra coverages? - There are quite a few additional coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and membership fees may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers with clean records get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.

For example, these questions might point out whether your personal situation could use an agent's help.

What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Pennsylvania?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you change your policy. But how can every company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be over the age of 40, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay more money which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

When shopping online for car insurance, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured cut 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 at the best price.

Cheap car insurance is attainable both online in addition to many New Bethlehem insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Insureds leave their current company for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, questionable increases in premium, denial of a claim or extreme rates for teen drivers. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new car insurance company is actually quite simple.

For more Pennsylvania car insurance information

Even more information is available at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.

Additional helpful sites include Wikipedia and this New Bethlehem agent directory.