How to Compare Car Insurance Rates From Rochester, NY Insurance Agencies

Selecting a car insurance company in Rochester, New York can be time consuming since choosing the right Rochester insurance agency takes more work than just calling the closest agent. It’s highly likely you want a professional agent, but you also want to find the lowest possible price.

With American Family, Allstate, State Farm and Farmers all competing for your business, it’s hard to tell which car insurance agent will provide the best rates, service and coverage. To help decide, it’s easy to use online price quotes to get a list of agents from which to choose.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

What are the financial responsibility laws in New York?
How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in New York?
What discounts do I qualify for?
When would I need additional glass coverage?
When would I need rental car insurance?
Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
At what point should I drop full coverage?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Rochester?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent.

Buying car insurance locally

Good agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The best thing about getting online price quotes is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local insurance agencies is important particularly in Rochester.

For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Rochester who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You never need to leave your house as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

What type of Rochester insurance agency is right for you?

When finding a local agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Rochester can either be captive or independent.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

The following is a list of independent agencies in Rochester that are able to give price quote information.

INS Agency Today – 3700 East Ave – Rochester, NY 14618 – (585) 248-2050
Ronald F Antinora Agency – 2745 Ridge Rd W – Rochester, NY 14626 – (585) 723-3250
Terry Powell Insurance – 150 Phoenix Mills Plz – Rochester, NY 14616 – (585) 298-9729
Brian D Steklof Insurance – 110 Allens Creek Rd – Rochester, NY 14618 – (585) 244-6260
Accorso-Batjer Agency – 1839 Ridge Rd E – Rochester, NY 14622 – (585) 544-2280

Agency Captives

These agents work for only one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Listed below are Rochester captive insurance agents that can give you rate quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 2125 Buffalo Rd # 116 – Rochester, NY 14624 – (585) 247-1462
Allstate Insurance Co – 794 Spencerport Rd – Rochester, NY 14606 – (585) 247-8110
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 2680 Ridge Rd W # 103 – Rochester, NY 14626 – (585) 225-4801

To view a full list of car insurance agents in Rochester, simply jump to this page.

Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
What insurance companies do they work with?
Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
Is working in the agency their full-time job?

Upon receiving acceptable answers to these questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

Can you save by buying online?

Licensed agents are indespensible for some people, but New York car insurance can also be bought direct over the internet. Some car insurance companies like Allstate and State Farm who sell through the agent channel additionally provide the ability to buy direct on their websites, so that should be considered.

If you’re uneasy about not having an agent to talk to, this is expected but don’t let that bother you. Auto insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages provide toll-free numbers for answering any questions you have.

Can buying online lower your premiums? It’s hard to say exactly because there are so many things that are calculated into your premium. It’s logical to say that a consumer who buys direct reduces premiums because there is no agent. In many cases, online and traditional media advertising are expensive and this tends to eat up any savings.

If the lowest price is important, the best way to know if car insurance prices are lower online or from agents is comparing prices for both of them. You may actually get a different price when using both online and agent quotes from the same company. But you can’t find out where you can get the lowest rates unless you actually compare identical quotes from both.

More information is located on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services located here. New York consumers can read industry bulletins, read state legal mandates and laws, report car insurance fraud, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

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Online plus local equals savings

Drivers change insurance companies for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests, policy non-renewal and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, finding a great new company is not as difficult as it may seem.

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where an insured cut physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.