Tightwads Guide to Saving on Orchard Park Auto Insurance

Overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your savings account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet. Having so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it can be diffult for consumers to pick the lowest price insurance company.

It's important to check auto insurance prices yearly since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every available discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

Good Student Discount - A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
Multi-policy Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
Government Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn't work that way.

To see a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in New York, click here to view.

How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Orchard Park, NY

There are several ways to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance agencies in Orchard Park, or you could save time and use the web to get the quickest rates.

Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company can provide price quotes based on that data. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one downside to using this type of form is you are unable to specify which carriers you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select individual companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in New York. View list of New York insurance companies.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but make sure you use apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If you have different values for each quote it will be impossible to decipher which rate is best in Orchard Park.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine your rates.

A clean driving record saves money - Even a single moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who get severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Pleasure use saves money - The more you drive in a year's time the higher your rates will be. Most companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your auto insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping car theft.
Multiple policies with one company can save - The majority of insurers give discounts to people who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
You might want pay the small claims yourself - Insurance companies in New York award discounts to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can expect higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone's needs are different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

Should I buy only the required New York minimum liability coverage?
Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?

If you're not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Is there truth in advertising?

New York drivers can't get away from ads for car insurance savings by companies like State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save if you move to them.

But how can every company say the same thing?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as a mature driver, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be charged more money and ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. This is how insurance companies can claim big savings. That is why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Best coverage at the best price

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can compare auto 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 best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like .

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Additional detailed information can be found at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York drivers can file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and read consumer alerts.

Additional helpful sites include III.org's auto insurance page and this directory of insurance agents in Orchard Park New York.