Car Insurance in Elmont, NY - 7 Tricks to Save Money
Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, you are not the only one feeling buyer's remorse.
Big companies like GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and find the best price available.
If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Finding affordable coverage in Elmont is not that difficult. Although New York consumers do need to know how companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Elmont
There are several ways to compare car insurance prices but one way is more efficient than others. You can spend your afternoon talking to insurance companies in Elmont, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and at least one company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for each company you want a rate for.
To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.
The one downside to using this type of system is you cannot specify which providers to get quotes from. So if you want to select individual companies to compare rates, we put together a list of car insurance companies in New York. Click to view list.
Whichever method you choose, compare exactly the same information on every quote. If you use higher or lower deductibles it's impossible to make a fair comparison in Elmont. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. Just keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price.
How much can you save with these seven discounts?
Companies offering auto insurance don't always publicize every discount in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class if it's offered in school.
- Driver Safety - Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
- Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
- Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with a few car insurance companies.
- Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Distant Student - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
- Paperwork-free - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won't be that lucky.
To choose insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Elmont, click here.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all have a common claim about savings after switching to their company. How can each company claim to save you money?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Consumers who don't meet the requirements will be quoted higher rates and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's the way companies can truthfully claim big savings. This emphasizes why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Even more information can be found at the New York Department of Financial Services website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and download brochures.
Final considerations
The cheapest car insurance can be purchased both online and also from your neighborhood Elmont agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
