Easy Tips to Spend Less on Massapequa Auto Insurance

Saving money on Massapequa auto insurance is challenging for consumers not familiar with comparing rates online. There are so many options that it can quickly become a lot of work to find the best price in Massapequa.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the proper way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

Buying car insurance in Massapequa is quite easy. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Nevertheless, New York vehicle owners do need to know the way companies sell insurance online and take advantage of how the system works.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate your rates.

More than one policy can earn a discount - Most companies give discounts to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you may still want to comparison shop 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.
Claim-free discounts can add up - Insurance companies in New York provide discounts to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the car you drive makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The most favorable rates are for small economy passenger vehicles, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Your credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than drivers with poor credit.
Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like doctors, architects and stock brokers have the highest rates attributed to job stress and long work days. On the other hand, professions such as farmers, students and homemakers get better rates.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance will protect you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
A clean driving record saves money - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single speeding ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Your spouse saves you money - Being married can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Marriage translates into being more mature and responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Compare Massapequa Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes from many national carriers. Just one form and you're done.
A harder way to get quotes online is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we'll assume you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

To view a list of companies in Massapequa, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to waste gas driving to and from local insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just ensure you're using apples-to-apples coverages and limits on every quote. If you enter different deductibles it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Massapequa. Just a small difference in coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate.

Save big with these discounts

Companies don't always list every available discount very well, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

Multi-policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
Early Signing - A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
Air Bag Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts compared to accident-prone drivers.
Organization Discounts - Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Good Students Pay Less - This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts until age 25.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

To choose providers offering auto insurance discounts in New York, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Companies like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. But how can every company say the same thing?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Consumers who fall outside this ideal profile will be charged higher rates which usually ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. That is why you need to compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York drivers can read consumer alerts, download brochures, and learn about specific coverages.

Other informative sites include Wikipedia and this Massapequa agent directory.

Shop smart and save

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Consumers switch companies for many reasons like policy non-renewal, extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices or even poor customer service. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is easier than you think.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company.