Tightwads Tips for Saving on Sleepy Hollow Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced auto insurance? Trust us, many Sleepy Hollow consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy. Drivers have so many to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices at least once a year because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates last year you may be paying too much now. Don't believe everything you read about auto insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

How to Compare Sleepy Hollow Auto Insurance Costs

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive allow you to get price estimates online. This process is quite simple as you just type in the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company's rating system will obtain your driving and credit reports and returns a price quote based on these factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to several different sites and complete many quote forms is monotonous and tiresome. But it's very important to perform this step in order to find better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to find better auto insurance pricing uses one form that gets price quotes from several different companies. The form is fast, eliminates repetitive work, and makes rate comparisons much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you can select any one of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process can be completed in a matter of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you replicate the coverage information exactly as shown on your declarations page. This way, you will have comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

It's important that you understand the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The following are some of the items used by your company to calculate rates.

Discounts for married couples - Getting married can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. It translates into being more mature it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
Little extras can really add up - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Lower miles equals lower premium - Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies apply a rate based on their usage. Autos left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.
Adjust deductibles and save - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more expense you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit history is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit history is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Many auto insurance companies will give a discount to customers who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it's in your best interest to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find a better deal by splitting coverages up.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If you're not getting every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application over the internet.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
No Charge for an Accident - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Auto/Life Discount - Some companies give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Club Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization could trigger savings on auto insurance.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you're out of luck.

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

Additional detailed information can be read at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and report car insurance fraud.

Other useful links include this page for New York auto insurance and see this list of insurance agents in Sleepy Hollow.

In the end, you save

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in Sleepy Hollow, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don't reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

You just read some good ideas how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .