5 Discounts Utica Drivers Forget when Comparing Car Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the number of car insurance companies in Utica? Lot's of other consumers are too. There are so many choices that it can turn into a ton of work to locate the lowest price.

It's important to compare prices at least once a year since rates are constantly changing. If you had the best deal last year you will most likely find a better rate today. So block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we're going to show you the proper way to find lower rates on car insurance.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
  • Low Mileage - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • More Vehicles More Savings - Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Some companies give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you're out of luck.

Ohio car insurance

Switch companies and save? Really?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim that you can save if you move your coverage to them. How do they all claim to save you money?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who do not match the "perfect" profile will be charged a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads state "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. That is why you should get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Find out more about car insurance

Additional detailed information is available at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.

car insurance in Utica

Final considerations

We just covered a lot of techniques to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a small local company.

Lower-priced car insurance is possible both online as well as from independent agents in Utica, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as poor customer service, delays in responding to claim requests, extreme rates for teen drivers and even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn't matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.