Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Temple Car Insurance

Tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in Pennsylvania.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

Cheap Temple Car Insurance Comparisons

Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you don't know the easiest way. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Temple, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

All the larger companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company returns a rated price based on that data. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify which companies you want pricing from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in Pennsylvania. Click to view list.

Whichever way you use, ensure you're using exactly the same coverage information on every quote you get. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Temple. Just a small difference in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when price shopping your coverage, more quotes will improve the odds of getting the best offered rates.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Temple

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.

  • Liability insurance protects assets - Liability coverage will protect you if you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as judges, architects and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of high stress and long work hours. Other occupations like farmers, historians and performers have the lowest average rates.
  • Men pay higher rates - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Men and women have accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • Small claims can cost you - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania provide cheaper rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Car insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money - Many companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Your credit rating is important - A driver's credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings.

  • Club Memberships - Belonging to a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
  • 55 and Retired - Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
  • Early Switch Discount - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It's important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, you're out of luck.

For a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Temple, follow this link.

Additional detailed information is located at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.

Do the work, save more money

Lower-priced car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Temple insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it's a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.