Auto Insurance in Syracuse, NY – 9 Discounts You May be Missing

No one cherishes buying auto insurance, particularly when the cost is way too high.

Multiple insurers compete for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer to get the cheapest price

If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Buying car insurance in Syracuse is not rocket science. Although New York consumers must comprehend how insurance companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.

Comprehensive Auto Insurance Comparison in Syracuse, NY

There are a variety of methods to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day talking to insurance companies in Syracuse, or you could use the web to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Most car insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for every auto insurance company.

To use this form to compare rates click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose which insurance companies to get pricing from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we have assembled a list of companies who write auto insurance in New York. Click here for list of insurance companies in New York.

Which method you use is up to you, but make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverages and limits on every quote. If you have higher or lower deductibles then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best in Syracuse. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices will enable you to find lower pricing.

Don’t miss out on these nine money-saving discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Most are applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before being credited.

• Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home may earn you a small savings because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
• Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy life insurance.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.

To see a list of insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Syracuse, click this link.

Auto insurance 101

Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the usual coverages offered by auto insurance companies.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like surgery, dental work and funeral costs. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision insurance

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against things such as rolling your car, sustaining damage from a pot hole, driving through your garage door, crashing into a building and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Most of the time these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against things like bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy higher limits if possible. New York state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.

Additional information is located on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services through this link. New York consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, and download brochures.