Car Insurance in Cheektowaga – 9 Discounts Consumers are Missing

Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can empty your savings account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to tighten up your finances. There is such a variety of car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest cost provider.

It’s important to shop coverage around every six months because insurance rates tend to go up over time. Even if you think you had the best price a year ago other companies may now be cheaper. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out the easiest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

The purpose of this post is to let you in on the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. New York drivers only need to know the proper methods to compare prices online.

Low Cost Cheektowaga Car Insurance

Finding a better price on car insurance doesn’t have to be difficult. Drivers just need to take the time to compare quotes from different insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.

1. The first (and easiest) way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every car insurance company. One quote request gets you coverage quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
2. A different way to get comparison quotes requires you to visit each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare Progressive, GEICO and Liberty Mutual. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Cheektowaga, click here.
3. The hardest way to compare rates to and from local Cheektowaga insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the personal advice only provided by licensed Cheektowaga agents. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be sure to compare identical coverage information on every quote. If you enter mixed coverages you can’t possibly truly determine the lowest rate in Cheektowaga.

The fine print in car insurance ads

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you change to their company.

How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who do not match the requirements must pay higher premiums and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings.

This illustrates why it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which company will give you the biggest savings.

How much can you save with these nine discounts?

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there could be available discounts to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of more than 20%.
• Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
• New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• College Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

To choose insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Cheektowaga, click here.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

Some consumers prefer to sit down with an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain better rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for local agencies is important especially in Cheektowaga.

After filling out this short form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will compete to get your business. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Types of insurance agents in Cheektowaga

When searching for a local agent, there are a couple of different agency structures that you can select. Agencies in Cheektowaga are classified as either captive or independent. Either one can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning how they are different since it can impact the type of agent you choose

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you include at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.

Below are Cheektowaga independent insurance agents who may be able to give you price quotes.

Bakos Agency Inc – 1099 French Rd – Cheektowaga, NY 14227 – (716) 668-5700
Combined Insurance Co – 307 Cayuga Rd # 120 – Cheektowaga, NY 14225 – (716) 626-0272
Walden Agency – 4210 Union Rd – Cheektowaga, NY 14225 – (716) 632-8336
Frank R Pelosi Jr Agency – 2511 Union Rd – Cheektowaga, NY 14227 – (716) 668-0020
Michael Keane Insurance – 3083 William St # 5 – Cheektowaga, NY 14227 – (716) 656-0556

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents write business for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

The following is a list of captive insurance agencies in Cheektowaga that are able to give comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 626 Cleveland Dr – Cheektowaga, NY 14225 – (716) 834-8384
Allstate Insurance Co – 2910 William St – Cheektowaga, NY 14227 – (716) 896-3315

For a complete listing of captive agencies in Cheektowaga, simply jump to this page.

Choosing an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just a low price. These are valid questions to ask:

• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?

Upon receiving positive feedback for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Learning about specific coverages of car insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the usual coverages found on the average car insurance policy.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 25/50/10), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses such as prosthetic devices, hospital visits, dental work and nursing services. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability coverages

This can cover damage that occurs to a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined limit which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage protects against things like legal defense fees, pain and suffering and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. New York requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.

Comprehensive auto coverage

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from flooding, theft and a broken windshield. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverage protection

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things like scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Final considerations

Cheaper car insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Cheektowaga, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

You just learned many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. These companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

Additional consumer information websites

Much more information about car insurance in New York can be read on the website for the New York Department of Financial Services. Click here for link. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, find out industry alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other useful links include QuoteClickInsure.com and this link where you can make Cheektowaga car insurance comparisons.