Port Washington Car Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Comparison shopping for Port Washington car insurance is a challenge for people who are new to buying insurance online. Drivers have so many options available that it can be a ton of work to find lower rates in Port Washington.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Port Washington

The are a couple different ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The recommended way to find the lowest rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate forms for every car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form will get you rate comparisons from several companies. This is perfect if you don't have a lot of time.

Another way to shop for car insurance online requires you to visit the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For instance, let's assume you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Port Washington, click here.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using the exact same coverage information for every company. If you are comparing unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Port Washington. Just a small difference in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. It's important to know that more quotes will enable you to find the best offered rates.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Port Washington

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.

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

Better crash test results mean better rates - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
Older drivers save more - Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Young drivers are known to be less responsible in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Many companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, it's in your best interest to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Most are applied at quote time, but less common discounts must be asked for in order for you to get them.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
55 and Retired - Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Port Washington may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Early Switch Discount - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, you're out of luck. But any discount will cut the amount you have to pay.

For a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Port Washington, follow this link.

More information can be found on the New York Department of Financial Services website. Click here for link. Consumers can find disaster information, view a list of available companies, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Final considerations

Lower-priced car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Port Washington insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, unfair underwriting practices, not issuing a premium refund and lack of trust in their agent. No matter why you want to switch, switching car insurance companies is not as hard as you think.

As you prepare to switch companies, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.