Auto Insurance in Bethlehem, PA – 6 Discounts You Might be Missing

Perplexed by the sheer number of auto insurance options in Bethlehem? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many options available that it can quickly become a big hassle to find the best price.

Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates every six months due to the fact that insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the best rates a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. So just forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you how to use the internet to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

The are a couple different ways of comparing rate quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to compare insurance prices is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. The easiest and least time consuming way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for multiple quote forms for each company. A single form gets you coverage quotes from all major companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.
2. A more difficult way to analyze rates is spending the time to visit each company’s website and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare rates from Farmers, State Farm and Allstate. To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in Bethlehem, click here.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing identical deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If the quotes have different deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Bethlehem. Slightly different coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. It’s important to know that having more price comparisons will enable you to find lower pricing.

Save big with these six discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

• One Accident Forgiven – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
• Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Own a Home – Owning a home in Bethlehem may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
• Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For example, these questions could help you determine if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
• What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
• What are Pennsylvania no-fault laws?
• Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• Do I need higher deductibles?
• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

How can GEICO, State Farm and Progressive save drivers who switch?

GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies have a common claim about savings after switching to them. How can each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside this ideal profile will be quoted more money which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims.

This emphasizes why you need to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

Auto insurance policy specifics

Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Collision – Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, rock chips in glass, hitting a deer and hail damage. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Pennsylvania limits are 15/30/5), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses like X-ray expenses, surgery and dental work. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability coverages – This provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 which means a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for things like medical expenses, medical services, attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible. Pennsylvania requires drivers to carry at least 15,000/30,000/5,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.

Smart shoppers get results

In this article, we covered many tips how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate.

Discount auto insurance is attainable online in addition to many Bethlehem insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Additional auto insurance information can be read on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website located here. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, find a variety of consumer forms, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Additional helpful sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of Bethlehem insurance agents.