Save Money on Tonawanda Car Insurance Rates in Five Minutes

Have you fallen victim to an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse.

Drivers have so many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, having more insurers makes it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Tonawanda is not that difficult. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. But New York drivers must comprehend how companies determine prices.

How to Lower Your Car Insurance Cost in Tonawanda

There are a lot of ways to compare car insurance quotes, but there is one way that is less time-consuming than others. You can waste hours driving to insurance agencies in Tonawanda, or you could save time and use online quotes to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many companies take part in a program where prospective buyers complete one form, and each company can provide price quotes. This system prevents you from having to do quotation requests for each company. To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to pricing coverage this way is buyers cannot specifically choose the companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare prices, we have a listing of low cost car insurance companies in New York. Click here for list of insurance companies in New York.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you enter different deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the best price in Tonawanda. Having just a slight variation in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies helps locate lower pricing.

Discounts can save BIG

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

• Good Student Discount – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
• Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
• Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.

It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.

Listed below are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

• Adjust deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. The more money you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
• Having a spouse can save you money – Having a spouse can get you a discount on your policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The make and model of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in your rates. Small economy passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Keep rates low by being claim-free – Insurance companies in New York generally give better rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance is designed for larger claims.
• Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Things like rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea initially, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

A small number of people just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Once you complete this simple form, your insurance data is transmitted to agents in your area who will battle for your insurance coverage. There is no need to even leave your home as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.

Picking a company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:

• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?

Insurance agent types

When researching a local agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents to choose from. Agencies in Tonawanda are classified as either captive or independent.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only place business with one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are trained well in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below is a list of captive agents in Tonawanda who can help you get price quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 1876 Niagara Falls Blvd # 3 – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 692-8518
Allstate Insurance Co – 17 Main St – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 692-7405

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you contact at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.

Listed below are independent insurance agents in Tonawanda willing to provide price quotes.

Custard Insurance Adjusters – 100 Broad St – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 693-2914
Di Giore Insurance and Financial – 2860 Sheridan Dr – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 837-1300
Kirsch Agency – 935 Sheridan Dr – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 874-3800
Chrzanowski Agency – 2746 Eggert Rd – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 832-6000
Bill Barber Agency Inc – 2343 Sheridan Dr – Tonawanda, NY 14150 – (716) 837-6550

For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Tonawanda, go to this page.

Upon receiving good answers and an affordable coverage quote, you may have just found a car insurance agent that will provide car insurance coverage.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether or not you may require specific advice.

• Am I getting all the discounts available?
• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
• Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
• Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in New York?
• What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
• Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Even more information is located at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can find disaster information, view agent and company licensing information, report car insurance fraud, and get help finding coverage.

Do drivers who switch really save?

State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads on television and other media. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you move your policy. How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements must pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why you should get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Final thoughts

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the best prices are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

When shopping online for car insurance, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Discount car insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Tonawanda insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.