Things You Must Know Before Shopping for Waterbury Car Insurance Online

Finding lower rates for Waterbury car insurance is challenging for beginners to shopping for insurance online. Consumers have so many options that it can turn into a challenge to find lower rates in Waterbury.

You need to price shop coverage on a regular basis because insurance rates change regularly. Even if you got the best price a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Waterbury

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

• The more you drive the more you pay – The higher the mileage driven each year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based on their usage. Cars used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• No coverage gaps is important – Letting your insurance expire will be a quick way to pay more for car insurance. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
• Too many car insurance claims drive up costs – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in Connecticut generally give cheaper rates to insureds who are claim-free. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Bump up deductibles to save – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Liability coverage is cheap – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• High crash test scores lower rates – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• Bad driving skills means higher rates – A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. If you have flagrant violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we break down some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less compared to frequent claim filers.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
• Life Insurance – Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
• Sign Online – Certain companies will give a small break just for signing your application digitally online.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
• Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts up to 30%.
• Organization Discounts – Participating in a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.

It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

For a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Connecticut, click here.

What happened to insurance agents?

Some people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is OK! Licensed agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. The best thing about comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your information is submitted to local insurance agents in Waterbury who will battle to get your business. You never need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

Picking an insurance company requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:

• What insurance companies do they work with?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• Who are their largest clients?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?

The following is a list of insurance companies in Waterbury that can give you price quote information.

• Louis Pontillo Insurance – 1525 Hamilton Ave, Waterbury, CT 06706 – (203) 575-9006
• Allstate Insurance – 220 Chase Ave, Waterbury, CT 06704 – (203) 757-9009
• Ciriano Agency – 751 Watertown Ave, Waterbury, CT 06708 – (203) 756-8170
• Boiano Insurance – 349 Homestead Ave, Waterbury, CT 06705 – (203) 575-1224
• State Farm Insurance – 551 Wolcott St # 2, Waterbury, CT 06705 – (203) 757-6300

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Waterbury, go to this page.

Upon getting answers to your satisfaction for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, you’ve probably found a company that is a good match to adequately provide car insurance.

Even more information can be read at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Consumers can download brochures, read consumer alerts, and learn about specific coverages.

Buy online or local, you save

The cheapest car insurance is attainable both online in addition to many Waterbury insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.