Finding the Cheapest Old Greenwich Auto Insurance

No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing the cost is too high. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

It's important to check auto insurance prices occasionally since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to save money.

Save big with these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about in order for you to get them. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

College Student - Children living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Old Greenwich may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
Drivers Ed for Students - Have your child complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
Early Switch Discount - Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current expiration date. It's a savings of about 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Old Greenwich, follow this link.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Old Greenwich, CT

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is actually quite simple. You just have to invest a little time to compare quotes provided by online insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

The best way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method saves time by eliminating separate quote forms for each company. A single form gets you price quotes from many national carriers.
A less efficient way to get quotes online requires visiting each company's website to complete a price quote. For example, let's assume you want to compare , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Old Greenwich, click here.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use exactly the same quote information for every company. If you have mixed coverages it will be impossible to decipher which rate is best in Old Greenwich.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are some of the items companies use to determine rates.

Mature drivers pay less - Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Teenage drivers are known to be more careless behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
More than one policy can earn a discount - Many companies will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Your spouse saves you money - Getting married can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more responsible and it's proven that married couples file fewer claims.
Small claims can cost you - Car insurance companies in Connecticut provide cheaper rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions might point out if your situation would benefit from an agent's advice.

What are Connecticut no-fault laws?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Connecticut drivers can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing about savings after switching to them.

How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, owns a home, and has great credit. A propective insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who fall outside the requirements will have to pay more money which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

In the end, you save

When you buy insurance online, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an insured cut full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Old Greenwich insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Connecticut Insurance Department located here. Connecticut drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read consumer alerts, get help finding coverage, and download brochures.