Tightwads Tips for Saving on Peekskill Auto Insurance

Nobody I know cherishes buying auto insurance, in particular when they are paying too much.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage periodically because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a few years ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

Shopping for affordable coverage in Peekskill is easy if you know what you're doing. In a nutshell, everyone who is required by state law to have auto insurance will most likely be able to reduce their rates. But New York drivers do need to know how insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Peekskill Auto Insurance Comparisons

Comparing auto insurance rates can take time and effort if you don't know the easiest way. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in Peekskill, or you could save time and use online quoting to achieve your goal.

All the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and every company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to using this type of form is you don't know exactly which companies you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we have a page of auto insurance companies in New York. Click here for list of insurance companies in New York.

It's up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare identical coverages and limits with each company. If each company quotes different deductibles it's not possible to make an equal comparison in Peekskill. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Keep in mind that comparing more company's prices helps locate a lower rate.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Are you male or female? - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • More performance means more cost - The type of car you own makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates tend to be for economy passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Just one citation may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Pay less if you're married - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your policy. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it's proven that married couples file fewer claims.

How much can you save with discounts?

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but a few must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

  • Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
  • Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
  • Good Student - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
  • Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Payment Discounts - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • Defensive Driver - Completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
  • Save over 55 - Older drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • Drivers Education - Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in school.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

For a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in New York, click here to view.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New York?
  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If you're not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Much more information about auto insurance in New York is located on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services located here. New York consumers can learn about insurance regulations, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, and get help finding coverage.

New York auto insurance

Final considerations

Discount auto insurance is available online in addition to many Peekskill insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the biggest savings come from the least-expected company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .