Car Insurance in Cedarhurst New York - 8 Tips to Save Money

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can overdraw your checking account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparing price quotes is a smart way to make sure you're not throwing money away.

Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have multiple companies, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

Shopping for the lowest cost protection in Cedarhurst is easy if you know what you're doing. Just about anyone who has to buy car insurance should be able to reduce their rates. Nevertheless, New York car owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Accident Waiver - Certain companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Drivers Education - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Belonging to a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

How can Allstate, GEICO and Progressive save drivers who switch?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. All the companies say the same thing of big savings after switching your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards must pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

This illustrates why you should get as many quotes as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

For more New York car insurance information

Additional car insurance information is located on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services through this link. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and learn about insurance regulations.

Affordable insurance is out there

Low-cost car insurance can be purchased from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Cedarhurst, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, drivers have reduced collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.