Top 9 Ways to Pay Less on Car Insurance in Guilford

People new to shopping for insurance online could find finding the cheapest Guilford car insurance nearly impossible.

It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes once or twice a year since rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the best price a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance online but with this article, you’re going to get some great ideas on how to find cheap car insurance.

Compare Quotes for Guilford Car Insurance

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rate quotes from local in Guilford, CTcar insurance companies. The best method to compare insurance prices involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The best way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This type of form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms to each individual car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form will get you rate comparisons . This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
A harder way to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare USAA, Liberty Mutual and Farmers. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Guilford, click here.
The least efficient way of getting rate comparisons to local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the professional advice only provided by licensed agents. However, consumers can price shop your coverage online but buy from a local insurance agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using the exact same coverage information for every company. If you have mixed coverages then you won’t be able to find the best deal in Guilford. Having just a slight variation in limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that quoting more will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings.

Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get reduced rates.
Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
No Accidents – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared with bad drivers.
Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with a few car insurance companies.
Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

What happened to insurance agents?

Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Guilford who will battle to get your business. You never need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered to your email. It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Picking an provider needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
Is working in the agency their full-time job?

What type of Guilford auto insurance agent is right for you?

If you’re trying to find an insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).

Agency Captives

Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company like State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from captives partially due to the brand legacy and solid financial strength.

Below are captive insurance agencies in Guilford willing to provide price quote information. compare rates in Guilford Connecticut

Allstate Insurance – 34 York St – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-9981

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with different regional companies which can save you money.

Below is a short list of independent agencies in Guilford that are able to give rate quotes.

J F Scholes Agency – 1205 Boston Post Rd – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-0321
Cullen-Kinnare Insurance – 135 Church St – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-4829
Kapatoes Insurance Svc – 705 Boston Post Rd – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-0392
Stone Agency – 35 Boston St – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-2701
Scholes Agency Inc – 1205 Boston Post Rd – Guilford, CT 06437 – (203) 453-0664

For a complete listing of insurance agents in Guilford, please click here.

After getting positive feedback to your questions as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can service your policy. Keep in mind you can always cancel a policy for any reason so never feel you are locked into a specific agent for the full term.

Coverages available on your car insurance policy

Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things like colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch and rolling your car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many Connecticut drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 20/40/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Comprehensive coverages

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like vandalism, damage from flooding and a broken windshield. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses for things like X-ray expenses, funeral costs, rehabilitation expenses and chiropractic care. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability auto insurance

This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as structural damage, emergency aid and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible. Connecticut requires drivers to carry at least 20,000/40,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.

More detailed Connecticut car insurance information is available at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Connecticut drivers can view a list of available companies, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.

Final considerations

You just learned a lot of information how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

When you buy insurance online, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, someone dropped collision coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

People switch companies for a number of reasons such as high prices, delays in responding to claim requests, policy non-renewal and even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.