Tightwads Guide to Saving on Liberty Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced auto insurance? Believe me when I say there are many people just like you. Because there are so many insurance companies to choose from, it's difficult to choose the most affordable car insurance company.

It's important to do rate comparisons at least once a year because insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to learn the tricks you need to know to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

This article will tell you how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. New York vehicle owners just need to know how to compare prices over the internet.

How to Compare Liberty Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices and some are more efficient than others. You could spend your day talking to agents in Liberty, or you could save time and use online quoting to get the quickest rates.

All the larger companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that information. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company you want a rate for.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is that you can't choose which companies to receive prices from. So if you want to select specific providers for rate comparison, we have a page of auto insurance companies in New York. Click to view list.

Which method you use is up to you, but compare apples-to-apples information for each comparison quote. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it's not possible to determine the lowest rate in Liberty.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Liberty

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine rates.

Do men or women drive better? - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men have accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.
Your location affects your rates - Choosing to live in a rural area can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. City drivers have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents.
Discounts for multiple policies - Many companies will give a discount to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
Traffic violations increase rates - Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Just one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Jobs such as lawyers, architects and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like actors, students and performers have the lowest average rates.
Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in New York are known to be more careless when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.

How much can you save with discounts?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied before being credited. If you don't get every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

Save over 55 - Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
Driver Safety - Completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
Bundle and Save - When you have multiple policies with one company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Discount for Good Grades - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Federal Government Employee - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
College Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up online.
Discount for New Cars - Adding a new car to your policy can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in New York, follow this link.

Much more information about auto insurance in New York can be found on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services located here. New York consumers can learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Other useful links include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Liberty.

A tidy conclusion

As you shop your coverage around, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be purchased online and with local Liberty insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with the least-expected company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like .