8 Discounts Erie Drivers Miss when Shopping for Car Insurance Online

I can’t think of anyone who likes paying for car insurance, especially when they are paying too much.

With consumers having so many online and local companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to find the cheapest provider.

Pay less by taking advantage of these eight discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always list every discount very clearly, so we break down both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance.

• E-sign – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing on their website.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
• One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can save you money because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
• Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give better rates if you take out life insurance.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Erie, Pennsylvania

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rates from different in Erie, Pennsylvaniainsurance companies. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

• The most efficient way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate quotes to each individual car insurance company. One form submission gets you coverage quotes from all major companies.
• A less efficient way to shop for car insurance online is going to each company website to complete a price quote. For examples sake, let’s assume you want to compare Allstate, GEICO and Travelers. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

  For a list of links to insurance companies in Erie, click here.

• The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is driving to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the trained guidance only provided by licensed Erie agents. You can, however, compare the best prices online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare the exact same deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If your comparisons have different liability limits it will be very difficult to determine the lowest rate in Erie. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that more quotes gives you a better chance of getting the best price.

Car insurance policy coverages

Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.

Collision insurance

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims such as damaging your car on a curb, rolling your car and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Auto liability

Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. It protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability coverage protects against things such as medical services, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, attorney fees, loss of income and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Pennsylvania state minimum liability requirements are 15,000/30,000/5,000 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for things like funeral costs, hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses and chiropractic care. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like rock chips in glass, hail damage, hitting a bird, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from flooding. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

A little work can save a LOT of money

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced online and also from your neighborhood Erie agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, drivers have reduced collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.