Proven Ways to Save on Tappan Auto Insurance

Are you tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other New York drivers.

Drivers have multiple to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to be able to choose, it can be more challenging to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the only way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Tappan is not that difficult. Essentially every vehicle owner who carries auto insurance should be able to save money. Although New York drivers do need to know how big insurance companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Some companies give discounts to customers who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. Drivers may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for personal injury protection, better glass coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money eliminate them to save money.
Teen drivers pay high rates - Teen drivers in New York have a tendency to be less responsible in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Don't skimp on liability - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Your spouse saves you money - Being married helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Marriage means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and burglary. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Tappan

Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you don't understand the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to local insurance agents in Tappan, or you can stay home and use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that enables customers to submit one quote, and each participating company can give them a price for coverage. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only drawback to comparing rates this way is that consumers can't choose which providers you want to price. So if you want to select specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in New York. Click here to view list.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using identical coverage limits on every quote you get. If you use differing limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Tappan. Just a small difference in coverages may cause a big price difference. It's important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate better pricing.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every available discount very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

Theft Prevention System - Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver's ed class if offered at their school.
Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive better auto insurance rates.
Multiple Cars - Having all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
E-sign - A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose providers with discount auto insurance rates in New York, follow this link.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Companies like Allstate and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. All the ads say the same thing about savings if you change to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.

Drivers who don't measure up to these standards will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings. That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Even more information is available at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Final considerations

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

The cheapest auto insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Tappan agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.