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

Overpriced car insurance can dwindle your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet.

Numerous battle for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare to get the lowest rate

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance companies do not list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

  • Payment Method - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Paperwork-free - Some insurance companies will give a small break just for signing your application on their website.
  • 55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
  • Driver Safety - Taking a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings up to 30%.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn't work that way.

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Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How do they all make the same claim?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer could be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. A customer who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile will be quoted more money and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. This is how insurance companies can make those claims. This emphasizes why you should get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Consumers can view a list of available companies, get help finding coverage, learn about insurance regulations, and discover disciplinary actions.

Final considerations

Affordable car insurance can be bought from both online companies as well as from independent agents in New Brighton, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.