New Tricks for Cutting Costs on on Brookhaven Car Insurance

Are you confused by the dozens of car insurance company choices in Brookhaven? You’re not alone. You have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a ton of work to find the best price.

You need to price shop coverage every six months since rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the best way to find better coverage at a better price.

If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use this information to cut your premiums while maintaining coverages. Finding more affordable car insurance in Brookhaven is quite easy. New York consumers just need to know the tricks to buy car insurance online.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Companies don’t always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
• Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
• Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
• College Student – Any of your kids who live away from home and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
• New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in New York, click here.

Many Things Influence your Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine car insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

• With age comes lower rates – Older insureds are more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teen drivers have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
• Battle of the sexes – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Men and women have accidents in similar numbers, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
• Poor credit can mean higher rates – Having a bad credit rating is a big factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
• Safer cars cost less to insure – Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder car theft.
• Liability coverage protects you – Liability coverage is the protection in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
• Never let your coverage lapse – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a quick way to bump up your car insurance costs. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• Is your vehicle built for speed? – The make and model of the car you drive makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger vehicles, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

Drivers who switch save $446 a year? Really?

Consumers in New York can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings after switching your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer could be a mature driver, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be quoted more money and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

More detailed New York car insurance information can be read at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York drivers can report car insurance fraud, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.

More quotes mean more savings

In this article, we covered a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company.

Lower-priced car insurance is available on the web and with local Brookhaven insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some car insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.