Easy Tips to Spend Less on Harrisburg Auto Insurance

Finding lower premiums on Harrisburg auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers new to buying insurance online. You have so many choices that it can easily become a challenge to find the best price in Harrisburg.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Finding affordable coverage in Harrisburg is not that difficult. Nevertheless, Missouri drivers do need to know the way insurance companies price online insurance and use this information to your advantage.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education in school.
One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy could earn a price break for each car.

It's important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

Tips to Get Lower Harrisburg Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
One company can mean more discounts - Most companies will award you with lower prices to customers who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. If you currently are using one company, you may still want to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem good at first, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
High credit ratings translate to low rates - A driver's credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than drivers with poor credit.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to job stress and long work days. Other professions such as farmers, historians and homemakers get better rates.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers damage that occurs to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and burglary. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be a mature driver, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More Missouri auto insurance information

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Missouri Department of Insurance website. Missouri consumers can find disaster information, view a list of available companies, and read consumer alerts.

Final considerations

Low-cost auto insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Harrisburg, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Consumers switch companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, unfair underwriting practices, policy non-renewal and even extreme rates for teen drivers. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.