Northport Car Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online will discover buying low-cost Northport car insurance quite challenging.

It's important to price shop coverage occasionally because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest price a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you're about to learn the quickest way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to the best way to quote coverages. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. New York drivers only need an understanding of the proper way to get comparison quotes on the web.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.

More people means more accidents - Living in a small town can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. Urban drivers regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it's still a good idea to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Lower deductibles cost more - Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The type of car you own makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The lowest base rates are for economy passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.

Finding Car Insurance Deals in Northport, NY

Reducing your insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. Just spend a little time to compare quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The fastest way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing separate quotes for each company. A single form gets you price quotes instantly. Just one form and you're done.
Another way to compare rate quotes requires a trip to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, let's assume you want to compare , and . You would have to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Northport, click here.

However you get your quotes, make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples quote information on every quote. If you use mixed coverages you can't possibly make a fair comparison in Northport.

Take advantage of discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be manually applied before they will apply. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
Anti-theft System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Northport can save you money because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
Discount for Swiching Early - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
Passive Restraints - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
College Student - Youth drivers who are attending college and don't have a car may qualify for this discount.

It's important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in New York, click here.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you change your policy.

But how can every company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could be between 25 and 40, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you need to quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

How to know if you need help

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's.

These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent's advice.

What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?

If you can't answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Additional car insurance information is located on the New York Department of Financial Services website found here. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read consumer alerts, and report car insurance fraud.

Other informative sites include Wikipedia and this Northport agent directory.

A tidy conclusion

When shopping online for car insurance, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured cut liability coverage limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price.

Low-cost car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Northport insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some car insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a small mutual company.