How to Know You're Wasting Money for Car Insurance in Shippenville

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you many consumers are feeling buyer's remorse and feel like there's no way out.

Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Shippenville is easy if you know what you're doing. But Pennsylvania consumers do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell online.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.

Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
Multiple Vehicles - Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Shippenville may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
Federal Government Employee - Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Student in College - Children living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Auto/Home Discount - If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
Accident Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Shippenville

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Do you know your deductibles? - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. The more expense you're willing to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
Older drivers pay less - Older insureds are more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers are known to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Many companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Occupations such as real estate brokers, architects and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates attributed to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations such as actors, historians and performers have the lowest average rates.
High numbers of claims are not good - If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania provide cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is intended for the large, substantial claims.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big after switching to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's the way companies can advertise the savings.

This illustrates why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more about Pennsylvania car insurance

Much more information about car insurance in Pennsylvania can be read on the website for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department through this link. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, report car insurance fraud, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.

Shop smart and save

Discount car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Shippenville insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.