Price Comparisons for Smithtown New York Car Insurance Providers

When searching for a good Smithtown agent, you can start your search for an agent online rather than picking up the phone. There is a good chance that not only do you want a good agent that listens to you, but also the lowest possible price.

With companies like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance all competing for your business, it’s difficult to determine which will give you the best rates, service and coverage. To help decide, consumers can get online quotes to get a list of agents to choose from.

Everyone needs different coverages

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can help discover if you could use an agent’s help.

  • Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
  • At what point should I drop full coverage?
  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New York?
  • What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent.

Save time by quoting online

Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local insurance agencies is definitely important in Smithtown.

Upon completion of this quick form, the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Smithtown who will compete to get your business. You never need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. How cool is that?!

The different types of insurance agents

When looking for a good Smithtown insurance agent, there are a couple of types of agencies from which to choose. Agents can either be captive or independent. Both do a good job, but it’s good to learn how they are different because it can influence your selection of an agent.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Below are Smithtown independent insurance agents who may be able to give you pricing information.

Levinson Agency – 811 W Jericho Tpke # 103w – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 360-3361
Bagatta Insurance – 823 W Jericho Tpke – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 864-1111
Alydar Agency Inc – 821 W Jericho Tpke # B – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 864-7171
Schaever Agency Inc – 22 Lawrence Ave – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 265-7277
Hometown Insurance – 35 Manor Rd – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 724-3030

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with such as American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captive agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below are captive agencies in Smithtown willing to provide rate quotes.

Allstate Insurance Co – 89 E Main St # 1 – Smithtown, NY 11787 – (631) 724-2100

To view a full list of captive agents in Smithtown, visit this site.

Choosing an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:

  • Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
  • Do they make recommendations based only on price?
  • Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
  • Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
  • Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?

After getting acceptable answers to these questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

Can I save by buying online?

Car insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you also have the option of buying directly from online companies. Certain auto insurance companies who sell through the agent channel also allow consumers to buy direct on their websites. This is something to consider as an alternative to contacting agents.

If you’re uncomfortable with not receiving proper advice when buying online, this is normal but is quickly overcome. Companies provide customer service that you can contact for information. Most companies also provide online education and live help anytime so you can feel comfortable buying online.

Do people save by buying online? A lot of shoppers won’t buy anywhere else, but it’s impossible to say because there are many factors that determine your policy premium. It would make sense to think that shopping direct saves money by not requiring a commission. But in reality, advertising budgets are huge and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.

More information is located on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services found here. New York consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, read industry bulletins, and report car insurance fraud.

Locate Smithtown New York insurance agents

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

Final thoughts

When buying insurance coverage, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Cost effective car insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Smithtown agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.