Car Insurance in Williamsport - 6 Discounts to Better Rates

Shopping for the lowest cost Williamsport car insurance on the internet is difficult for people who are new to price shopping online. With such a large number of companies competing online, how can you effectively compare the different rates to find the cheapest available price?

Consumers should take time to get comparison quotes at least once a year because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest price six months ago a different company probably has better rates today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some great ways to stop overpaying for insurance.

Take these six discounts and save

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be asked for before you get the savings.

Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Williamsport can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
Save with a New Car – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to frequent claim filers.
Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.

It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

How to Compare Williamsport Car Insurance Costs

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The best method to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

The recommended way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form will return price quotes . Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
A more time consuming way to find lower rates consists of going to each company website and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare State Farm, Farmers and American Family. You would have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in Williamsport, click here.
The most time-consuming way to get comparison rates is driving to and from local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to compare online quotes and still use a local agent and we’ll talk about that later.

Whichever method you choose, compare identical coverage information for each comparison quote. If each company quotes unequal deductibles or liability limits you can’t possibly find the best deal in Williamsport. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding the best price.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Should I buy more coverage than the required Pennsylvania minimum liability coverage?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Pennsylvania?
When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
How high should my medical payments coverage be?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Buying car insurance from a local agent

Some consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local insurance agencies is especially important in Williamsport.

By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

Captive and independent Williamsport auto insurance agents

When searching for local Williamsport agents, there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Agencies or Brokers

These agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.

When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents to get the best comparison. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers which can be an advantage.

Below are independent insurance agents in Williamsport that are able to give pricing information.

Girio Agency Inc – 521 Market St – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 326-1793
Paul Hartsock LUTCF Insurance – 460 Market St # 206 – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 321-9242
Rosemarie Lugg Agency – 1431 Washington Blvd – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 320-2840
Davis Insurance Inc – 300 W 3rd St – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 322-5800
Kutney Agency – 1028 Washington Blvd – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 322-8909

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Some people will only buy from captive agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-62.jpg" alt="Williamsport Pennsylvania car insurance quote”/>

The following are captive insurance agents in Williamsport that are able to give price quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 1945 W 4th St – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 323-2111
Allstate Insurance – 921 Westminster Dr # 2 – Williamsport, PA 17701 – (570) 326-6645

For a full directory of captive agents in Williamsport, please view this page.

Deciding on a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Do they make recommendations based only on price?
How are they compensated?
Can glass repairs be made at your home?
What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?

Upon receiving good answers to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance agent that is a good match to service your policy.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

State Farm, Allstate and GEICO consistently run ads in print and on television. All the companies have a common claim that you’ll save big if you change to their company. But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don’t meet these standards will be charged more money and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

That is why you should compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know which company will fit your personal profile best.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive protection

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like falling objects, damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and theft. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This gives you protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many Pennsylvania drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/5 in Pennsylvania), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses like rehabilitation expenses, EMT expenses, nursing services and dental work. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Coverage for collisions

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox and colliding with a tree. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability

Liability insurance will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering, medical expenses, emergency aid and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Pennsylvania requires drivers to carry at least 15,000/30,000/5,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.

Online plus local equals savings

We covered some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the best prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies.

Lower-priced car insurance can be bought on the web and with local Williamsport insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in paying claims, not issuing a premium refund and policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is easier than you think.

More information can be found on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website located here. Pennsylvania drivers can report car insurance fraud, read consumer alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and learn about specific coverages.

Also read more on this resource for Pennsylvania car insurance prices and this page of insurance agents in Williamsport.

Car Insurance in Williamsport – 6 Discounts to Better Rates