Discover the Secrets to Paying Less for Hamden Auto Insurance

Are you tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than most other car owners in Connecticut.

Lots of car insurance companies contend for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every provider to discover the definitive best rate

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these tips. Buying car insurance in Hamden is not rocket science. Nevertheless, Connecticut consumers must learn the way companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the factors that factor into rates.

• Poor credit can mean higher rates – Your credit score is a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit is low, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
• Are you male or female? – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. They both cause accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Your spouse saves you money – Having a spouse can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. It usually means you are more mature and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
• Do you have a high stress job? – Occupations like doctors, business owners and accountants tend to have higher rates than average because of high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, jobs such as scientists, athletes and the unemployed receive lower rates.
• Optional equipment can affect rates – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping auto theft.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise all available discounts very well, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

• Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
• College Student – Kids in college who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
• Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school.
• Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags can get savings of up to 25% or more.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To see a list of insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Hamden, click this link.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.

• Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
• Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
• Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Connecticut?
• Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
• Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Online resources for education

Even more information is available at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, find disaster information, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Additional helpful sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this list of insurance agents in Hamden.

Affordable insurance is out there

In this article, we covered a lot of information how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Progressive and GEICO.

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, an insured dropped physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford.