Car Insurance in Scio, NY - 7 Tips to Save Money

Expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparison shopping is a smart way to lower your monthly bill.

Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive persitently shower you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies do not list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

Driver Safety - Successfully completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
Student in College - Children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get better car insurance rates.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

How to know if you need help

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a "perfect" insurance plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in New York?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings after switching to their company. How can each company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer could be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any new insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay higher rates which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

More sites with car insurance information

Even more information is located at the New York Department of Financial Services website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and download brochures.

Affordable insurance is out there

Cheap car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Scio agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.