Top 9 Ways to Get Lower Rates on Car Insurance in Lebanon, PA

Have you fallen victim to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, there are a lot of people in Lebanon just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy.

With consumers having so many choices, it is very difficult to locate the right insurer.

Save big with these nine discounts

Companies don’t always publicize every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings.

• Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
• Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates on car insurance.
• Save over 55 – Older drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
• Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
• Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
• Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
• Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Lebanon may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.

It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, follow this link.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When buying adequate coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions might point out if your situation will benefit from professional help.

• What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• Is Pennsylvania a no-fault state?
• Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
• Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim about savings if you switch your policy. How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile will have to pay more money which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can claim big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Auto insurance 101

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages found on the average car insurance policy.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things like driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb and rolling your car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses such as EMT expenses, prosthetic devices and pain medications. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as rock chips in glass, damage from getting keyed, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Liability auto insurance

This provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against things like medical expenses, attorney fees, legal defense fees and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but consider buying higher limits if possible. Pennsylvania state law requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/5,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.

More detailed Pennsylvania car insurance information can be found at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Pennsylvania drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, find out industry alerts, and report car insurance fraud.

One last thing about your coverage

We just covered many ways to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.

Cheaper car insurance can be purchased online and with local Lebanon insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.