Best 10 Tips to Save on Car Insurance in Islip, NY

Finding affordable Islip car insurance can seem to be difficult for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. You have so many choices that it can easily become a challenge to locate the lowest price in Islip.

Car Insurance Prices in Islip

There are a lot of ways to compare car insurance quotes, and some are more efficient than others. You can spend countless hours driving to agents in Islip, or you could save time and use the web to achieve your goal.

All the larger companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers send in one quote, and every company returns a competitive quote based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms for each company.

To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to using this type of system is you cannot specify which companies you will receive quotes from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a listing of low cost car insurance companies in New York. View list of New York insurance companies.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare exactly the same coverages and limits for every quote you compare. If you are comparing different values for each quote you will not be able to find the best deal in Islip. Having just a slight variation in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, more quotes will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Companies don’t always advertise every available discount very well, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
Own a Home – Owning a home in Islip may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
College Student – Children who are attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.

Buying car insurance locally

Certain consumers would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the quote information is sent to companies in Islip who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to even leave your home as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.

Picking an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
How often do they review policy coverages?
Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
Do they assist clients in filing claims?
Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?

Islip auto insurance agents come in two flavors

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Islip agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).

Agency Captives

This type of agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers frequently choose to use a captive agent primarily because of the brand legacy and solid financial strength.

Shown below are Islip captive insurance agents that can give you price quotes.

Allstate Insurance Co – 227 Islip Ave – Islip, NY 11751 – (631) 859-3000
State Farm Insurance – 660 Montauk Hwy – Islip, NY 11751 – (631) 581-7613

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, we recommend you include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller companies which may provide better rates.

Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Islip that can give you rate quotes.

NBP Insurance Brokerage Inc – 615 Montauk Hwy – Islip, NY 11751 – (516) 520-0200
First Choice Insurance – 188 Islip Ave – Islip, NY 11751 – (631) 859-1000
HGM Agency – 1034 Broadway – Islip, NY 11751 – (631) 277-1304

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Islip, please go to this site.

After getting acceptable answers to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that can insure your vehicles.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique.

These are some specific questions can help discover if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
Does my vehicle need full coverage?
Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Will my rates increase for filing one claim?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.

Car insurance coverage basics

Understanding the coverages of car insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Comprehensive auto coverage – This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like theft, hitting a bird and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical payments and PIP coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses such as X-ray expenses, hospital visits, chiropractic care, prosthetic devices and doctor visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Collision – This covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers things like rolling your car, hitting a mailbox, hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Auto liability insurance – Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers claims such as legal defense fees, structural damage, loss of income, medical expenses and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. New York requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

One last thing

When you buy insurance online, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.

We just showed you many tips how you can shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.

Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions, delays in paying claims and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the New York Department of Financial Services website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Islip

Online Quotes for Islip New York Car Insurance Agencies