Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are lots of people in the same boat.
Online insurance companies like State Farm and GEICO all claim big savings, bombarding you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and find the best price available.
Consumers need to shop coverage around quite often because prices tend to go up over time. Just because you had the lowest price two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to show you the proper way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. Finding the best rates in Danbury is not that difficult. But Connecticut drivers do need to learn how insurance companies compete online.
These discounts can slash car insurance rates
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you get the savings.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
- Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
To choose insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Danbury, click here.
Finding Car Insurance Deals in Danbury
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from different in Danburyinsurance companies. The quickest method to find competitive insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The single most time-saving way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This easy form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company. In just a few minutes this one form will get you price quotes from several companies.
- A more time consuming way to get quotes online requires a trip to the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll pretend you want rates from GEICO, Allstate and Progressive. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Danbury, click here.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverage limits with every price quote. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to find the best deal in Danbury. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that quoting more will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.
Why you might pay higher rates in Danbury
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into prices.
- Small claims can cost you – Auto insurance companies in Connecticut award lower rates to people who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Tickets mean higher rates – Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who have dangerous citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Liability coverage protects you – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Better credit scores mean better rates – Your credit score is a large factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. If your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit.
- Having a spouse can save you money – Getting married helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- Are you male or female? – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
- Adjust deductibles and save – Physical damage insurance, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply could be a windshield shattered by a rock, collision with an animal, and burglary. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
When might I need the advice of an agent?
When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required Connecticut minimum liability coverage?
- Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
- Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Danbury?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Better coverage you can count on
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
We’ve covered a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
More information can be read on the website for the Connecticut Insurance Department located here. Connecticut consumers can view agent and company licensing information, discover disciplinary actions, and read state legal mandates and laws.