Buy Colonie, NY Car Insurance Like a Bargain Hunter

Finding lower rates for Colonie car insurance can seem to be nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. There are so many companies to choose from that it can be a big hassle to compare prices in Colonie.

It’s a good habit to compare prices on a regular basis since rates change frequently. If you had the best deal six months ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance online, so we’re going to give you the best ways to buy car insurance cheaper.

If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can use this information to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. Finding cheaper protection in Colonie is quite easy. New York vehicle owners just need to learn the tricks to shop for car insurance on the web.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Colonie, New York

Most major insurance companies allow you to get pricing on their websites. The process is pretty painless as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as requested by the quote form. Once entered, their system will obtain your driving record and credit report and generates pricing information based on many factors.

Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit each company’s website and repetitively enter the same data into a form is monotonous and tiresome. But it is imperative to get many rate quotes in order to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

Rate comparisons made easy

A quicker way to find cheaper rates requires only one form to get prices from multiple companies. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online a little more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you can select your choice of the pricing results.

If the quotes result in lower rates, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

If you want to find out how much you’re overpaying now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with coverages and limits identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will get a rate comparison using the exact same coverages.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don’t get every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.

• College Student – Youth drivers who live away from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
• Save over 55 – Older drivers may qualify for reduced rates.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy qualifies for this discount.
• Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current expiration date. It can save you around 10%.
• Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
• Safety Course Discount – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

For a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in New York, follow this link.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.

These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in New York?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?
• When would I need additional glass coverage?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Colonie?
• When should I not file a claim?
• Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
• Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Why your price might be higher

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.

• Your location is important – Living in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Urban drivers regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
• Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more money you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
• Marriage brings a discount – Getting married can actually save you money on your policy. It means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Careers like lawyers, executives and accountants tend to have higher rates than average attributed to stressful work requirements and long work days. On the flip side, professions such as actors, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers in New York constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy.

How do they all claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for these standards will have to pay higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to compare many company’s rates. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Quote more, save more

Affordable car insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Colonie, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

People leave their current company for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, policy non-renewal, delays in responding to claim requests or poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be easier than you think.

We’ve covered many ideas to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.

For more New York car insurance information

More information can be found on the New York Department of Financial Services website located here. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read industry bulletins, find a variety of consumer forms, and find out industry alerts.