How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Auburn

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, there are a lot of people in Auburn just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Having so many companies to choose from, it's difficult to find the best car insurance company.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Auburn

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

Listed below are some of the factors companies use to determine prices.

Optional equipment can affect rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The more money you're willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Your credit rating is important - Having a bad credit score is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. So if your credit is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
You might want pay the small claims yourself - Companies in New York give discounts to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Battle of the sexes - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Men and women tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability insurance provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.

Comprehensive Auburn Auto Insurance Comparison

Reducing your insurance rates is a fairly straight forward process. Just invest a few minutes comparing price quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

The fastest way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company. Filling out one form compares rates from many national carriers.
A harder way to compare rate quotes is going to the website of each company and fill out their own quote form. For example, let's say you want to compare rates from , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Auburn, click here.
The hardest method to compare rates is driving around to and from local insurance agencies. The internet eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the professional advice of a licensed agent. Drivers can find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles for each comparison quote. If you compare different liability limits you will not be able to determine the lowest rate in Auburn.

Take advantage of discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts that many people don't even know exist. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be inquired about before being credited. If you don't get every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Payment Discounts - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company qualifies for this discount.
Braking Control Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with a few auto insurance companies.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in New York, click this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

New York drivers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all make the same claim that you can save if you switch to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices which leads to business not being written. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings.

This emphasizes why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

More information is available on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services. Click here for link. New York drivers can view a list of available companies, report car insurance fraud, find out industry alerts, and download brochures.

Other informative sites include this site for auto insurance rates in New York and this list of insurance agents in Auburn, NY.

A tidy conclusion

Affordable auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Auburn insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.