Is Your Lancaster Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Too High?

No one likes having to buy auto insurance, in particular when the cost is too high.

Big companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm persitently shower you with catchy ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

You should make it a habit to compare prices every six months because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the lowest price two years ago you can probably find a better price now. So just block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the proper way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage in Lancaster is not rocket science. But Pennsylvania drivers need to learn the way insurance companies determine prices.

Fast and Easy Lancaster Auto Insurance Quotes

Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be exhausting if you don’t utilize the easiest way. You could waste a few hours driving to insurance agencies in Lancaster, or you can stay home and use the internet to get the quickest rates.

Most of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and at least one company returns a rated price based on that data. This eliminates the need for form submissions to each company. To compare rates using this form now click here to open in new window.

One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you cannot specify which insurance companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a page of auto insurance companies in Pennsylvania. Click here to view list.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverage information with each company. If you have different values for each quote it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Lancaster. Slightly different limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. It’s important to know that more quotes helps locate the best offered rates.

Don’t overlook these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every available discount very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

• Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Organization Discounts – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on your policy.
• 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
• Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can save you money because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
• Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education in school.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Lancaster, click this link.

Save Money with These Tips

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.

• Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• More people means more accidents – Being located in a small town can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large Pennsylvania cities regularly have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
• Car features impact rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
• Marriage brings a discount – Being married actually saves money on auto insurance. It translates into being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
• Women pay lower rates – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Lower rates come with age – Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Young drivers are known to get distracted easily in a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – Some insurers will award you with lower prices to insureds who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
• Low deductibles can be expensive – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Pennsylvania drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other related articles:

• Tips to Finding the Right Insurance Agent in Lancaster

Keep this in mind

Affordable auto insurance can be sourced both online and with local Lancaster insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. Some small companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or GEICO.