How to Find the Best Price on Bethlehem Pennsylvania Auto Insurance

Beginners to comparing insurance rates online may find purchasing cheap Bethlehem auto insurance to be a formidable task.

Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes quite often due to the fact that insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a couple years back you will most likely find a better rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you a lot of great tips on how to find affordable auto insurance.

Are you getting all your discounts?

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.

Club Memberships – Participating in a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can help you save on auto insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accident claims.
Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags can get savings of up to 25% or more.
Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching policies before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts as compared to accident-prone drivers.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.

Components of your insurance rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

A clean driving record saves money – Good drivers receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
High performance equals high price – The type of vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in determining your rates. Low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Battle of the sexes – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
More than one policy can earn a discount – Many auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to people who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Your spouse saves you money – Getting married actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
Do you have enough liability coverage? – The liability section of your policy will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Bump up deductibles to save – Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. The more expense you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, accident forgiveness and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good at first, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.

Are insurance agents a thing of the past?

Some people prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from small agencies is important particularly in Bethlehem.

After completing this simple form, your information is instantly submitted to companies in Bethlehem who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates AND a local agent.

Types of auto insurance agents in Bethlehem

When finding a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Bethlehem agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparing rates, you should always include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with different regional companies who may have lower rates.

Below are independent agencies in Bethlehem that are able to give rate quotes.

Hampson-Mowrer Kreitz Agency – 54 S Commerce Way # 150 – Bethlehem, PA 18017 – (610) 868-8507
Lane Agency – 1021 W Broad St – Bethlehem, PA 18018 – (610) 882-0805
Brion Agency – 602 W Broad St – Bethlehem, PA 18018 – (610) 865-9001
Star Insurance – 1104 Spring Garden St – Bethlehem, PA 18017 – (610) 866-6220
America and Foreign Insurance Co – 1510 Valley Center Pkwy – Bethlehem, PA 18017 – (610) 758-8414

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agencies can only place business with one company like AAA, Allstate and State Farm. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy insurance from these agents primarily because of high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

Listed below is a list of captive insurance agents in Bethlehem that can give you comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 6357 Airport Rd – Bethlehem, PA 18017 – (610) 837-8700
Allstate Insurance – 3639 Bath Pike – Bethlehem, PA 18017 – (610) 694-9860

For a full directory of captive insurance agents in Bethlehem, please click here.

Deciding on a car insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:

How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Pennsylvania?

Once you have received reasonable responses to your questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that will properly service your auto insurance policy.

Learn more today

Additional information can be read on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website through this link. Pennsylvania drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

A little work can save a LOT of money

Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like poor customer service, questionable increases in premium, extreme rates for teen drivers and even not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching auto insurance companies is less work than it seems.

Cheaper auto insurance can be bought on the web in addition to many Bethlehem insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies.