It’s an obvious assumption that insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. People who get price comparisons will presumably buy a new policy because there is a good chance of finding a lower-cost company. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that people who regularly compared price quotes saved over $865 a year compared to policyholders who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding the cheapest rates on insurance is the reason you’re here, then learning a little about how to get free comparison quotes and analyze auto insurance can save time and make the process easier.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get budget car insurance rates is to begin comparing prices regularly from insurers in Pittsburgh. Price quotes can be compared by following these steps.
- Get a basic knowledge of the different coverages in a policy and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price such as at-fault accidents and a not-so-good credit rating can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. This article gives more ideas to help prevent high rates and find additional discounts you may qualify for.
- Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from multiple companies.
- Compare the price quotes to your existing rates to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate quote and switch companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel the current policy and submit the application along with any required down payment for your new coverage. Once the paperwork is finalized, keep the new certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
A good tip to remember is to use identical limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to compare as many companies as you can. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. Locating the best rates in Pittsburgh is really quite easy. You only need to know the most efficient way to find the lowest price using one simple form.
The quickest method to compare car insurance rates for Ford Freestar insurance in Pittsburgh is to know the fact all the major auto insurance companies allow for online access to compare rate quotes. The one thing you need to do is take a few minutes to give details including how much education you have, whether or not you need a SR-22, the type of vehicles you drive, and driver ages. The rating information gets sent immediately to many highly-rated insurers and you get price estimates within a short period of time.
If you would like to start a quote now, click here and enter your coverage details.
The companies shown below offer price comparisons in Pittsburgh, PA. In order to find cheap auto insurance in Pittsburgh, we recommend you get prices from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Three reasons to not skimp on auto insurance
Even though it can be expensive, maintaining insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In Pennsylvania these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your vehicle with a loan, almost every bank will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Ford for a lot more money and require you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Auto insurance protects your car and your assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, your policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of insuring your Freestar greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver overpays as much as $865 each year so you should quote your policy with other companies every year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Verify you’re getting every discount
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but you may qualify for discounts to reduce the price significantly. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time of quoting, but occasionally some discounts must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.
- Paperwork-free – A handful of companies will give you a small discount simply for signing on your computer.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% as compared to drivers with claims.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags may get savings as much as 30%.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a home in Pittsburgh can save a few bucks since home ownership is proof of financial responsibility.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Claim-Free Discount – Pittsburgh drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on Pittsburgh car insurance quote in comparison to frequent claim filers.
Policy discounts save money, but most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts should definitely cut your car insurance premiums.
A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- Farm Bureau may have discounts that include youthful driver, good student, safe driver, renewal discount, and multi-vehicle.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for good driver, defensive driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, online quote discount, online signing, homeowner, good student, and continuous coverage.
- AAA offers discounts for good student, multi-car, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- American Family may include discounts for mySafetyValet, good driver, Steer into Savings, accident-free, and TimeAway discount.
- GEICO may offer discounts for air bags, five-year accident-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, emergency military deployment, and anti-theft.
- State Farm discounts include defensive driving training, multiple policy, accident-free, anti-theft, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, and student away at school.
When getting a coverage quote, ask each company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply in your area. To see a list of car insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, click here to view.
When to have guidance from an insurance agent
Many drivers prefer to talk to a local agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Good insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of comparing auto insurance online is the fact that drivers can get cheap auto insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to companies in Pittsburgh that can provide free Pittsburgh car insurance quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to you. If for some reason you want to compare prices for a specific company, feel free to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Choosing a provider requires more thought than just the quoted price. Here are some questions you should ask.
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
If you are searching for a reliable insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the different types of agents that you can select. Agents can be categorized as either independent or exclusive. Either type can sell auto insurance policies, but it’s good to learn the difference in how they write coverage because it may have an impact on the type of agent you choose.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agents can only provide pricing for a single company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below are Pittsburgh exclusive insurance agents that can give you price quotes.
Tad Paterra – State Farm Insurance Agent
984 Greentree Rd – Pittsburgh, PA 15220 – (412) 922-2622 – View Map
Steve Long – State Farm Insurance Agent
2830 W Liberty Ave – Pittsburgh, PA 15216 – (412) 531-5600 – View Map
Corey Griffith – State Farm Insurance Agent
1143 S Braddock Ave – Pittsburgh, PA 15218 – (412) 241-1178 – View Map
Independent Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are not restricted to one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, your agent can switch companies and you stay with the same agent.
If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, we recommend you get rate quotes from at least one independent agent to maximize your price options.
Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Pittsburgh that can give you price quotes.
J.S. Smith Insurance Agency
101 Bellevue Rd Suite 02 – Pittsburgh, PA 15229 – (412) 931-6070 – View Map
Wagner Agency, Inc.
5020 Centre Ave – Pittsburgh, PA 15213 – (412) 681-2700 – View Map
Nalley Insurance Agency LLC
3349 Babcock Blvd – Pittsburgh, PA 15237 – (412) 366-5223 – View Map
Once you have reasonable responses to your questions and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that can be trusted to properly service your auto insurance policy.
Final considerations
There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agencies. More affordable insurance in Pittsburgh is definitely available both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, someone sacrificed collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.
Helpful learning opportunities
- Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Dodge Ram in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota Tacoma in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Lyft Drivers in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
- Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)