Tips For Buying Auto Insurance
For those who have a car and are in Pennsylvania, this will likely be an exceedingly interesting article for you.
Here's why: as of this writing you will find 809 licensed PA auto insurance agencies (according to the
Pennsylvania Insurance Department). You need to use one of these agencies to fulfill the Pennsylvania
Mandatory Auto Insurance Law of 15/30/5 limits*. But you want to know something interesting?
The chances are that you're egregiously overpaying for insurance... by no-fault of your own!
The truth is, the insurance agencies have a vested interest in keeping certain facts from the general
public. They are for-profit businesses, after all.
But by knowing and ultizing those facts there are a number of simple "hacks" you should utilize to lower your PA
car insurance rates. The next few paragraphs expose some those hacks. Read on:
Do these things. Watch insurance rates tumble.
Keep clear of "The Secret Score"
Here's something you do not know: these days, insurance agencies are very interested in your
payment history and credit score. Invasion of privacy? Maybe. Strongly related to your rates? Yep.
If your credit score is on the lower side, I suggest doing research on the dozens of "sneaky" ways to
prop it up. Most methods are free to do, won't take more than a fortnight and may just enable you to get a lower
insurance rate.
Bundling Discount
As the name suggests, bundling is simply purchasing several different insurance products from a single
vendor. In return for your loyalty, the insurance agency will give you a discounted rate on all of the
products.
As an example, you get both your PA car insurance and your life insurance from the same company...
thus lowering your rates on both. This is common practice, and applies to most insurance types
including health, property, homeowners and rental insurance.
Safety and/or Anti-Theft Discounts
Having anti-theft tools like LoJack, The Club, or a car alarm deters thieves. Additionally, they warm the cockles
of the insurance agency's heart, incentivizing them to drop your rates faster than a bad habit. Likewise,
safety related things like airbags, motorized seatbelts, anti-lock brakes and fuel shutoff devices will earn
you lower rates, if not impassioned love letters.
Stop Crashing
Common-sense, yes? That's why this "hack" gets last mention, but unfortunately it still must be
mentioned. You will get rewarded for keeping your car in once piece. While accidents shoot your premiums
through the stratosphere, time elapsed sans fender-benders makes your rates go the opposite direction.
What they don't tell you...
Is that lots of the above discounts only apply to comprehensive coverage. Every discount helps, but
remember this when sitting at the agent's desk anticipating your quote.
And one more thing, before I close out here. I've steered away from covering common knowledge
tips. You know, things like "compare three (or more) insurance quotes" or "newer cars cost more to
insure."
But as I grow older I realize how uncommon "common knowledge" can be, so I include those tidbits now
as a parting gift. Good luck in your hunt for auto insurance in pa, and remember to live life in the fast
lane... but BELOW the speed limit!
* 15/30/5 stands for liability coverage of $15K for injury/death of one person, $30K for multiple people,
and $5K for damaged property.
Here's why: as of this writing you will find 809 licensed PA auto insurance agencies (according to the
Pennsylvania Insurance Department). You need to use one of these agencies to fulfill the Pennsylvania
Mandatory Auto Insurance Law of 15/30/5 limits*. But you want to know something interesting?
The chances are that you're egregiously overpaying for insurance... by no-fault of your own!
The truth is, the insurance agencies have a vested interest in keeping certain facts from the general
public. They are for-profit businesses, after all.
But by knowing and ultizing those facts there are a number of simple "hacks" you should utilize to lower your PA
car insurance rates. The next few paragraphs expose some those hacks. Read on:
Do these things. Watch insurance rates tumble.
Keep clear of "The Secret Score"
Here's something you do not know: these days, insurance agencies are very interested in your
payment history and credit score. Invasion of privacy? Maybe. Strongly related to your rates? Yep.
If your credit score is on the lower side, I suggest doing research on the dozens of "sneaky" ways to
prop it up. Most methods are free to do, won't take more than a fortnight and may just enable you to get a lower
insurance rate.
Bundling Discount
As the name suggests, bundling is simply purchasing several different insurance products from a single
vendor. In return for your loyalty, the insurance agency will give you a discounted rate on all of the
products.
As an example, you get both your PA car insurance and your life insurance from the same company...
thus lowering your rates on both. This is common practice, and applies to most insurance types
including health, property, homeowners and rental insurance.
Safety and/or Anti-Theft Discounts
Having anti-theft tools like LoJack, The Club, or a car alarm deters thieves. Additionally, they warm the cockles
of the insurance agency's heart, incentivizing them to drop your rates faster than a bad habit. Likewise,
safety related things like airbags, motorized seatbelts, anti-lock brakes and fuel shutoff devices will earn
you lower rates, if not impassioned love letters.
Stop Crashing
Common-sense, yes? That's why this "hack" gets last mention, but unfortunately it still must be
mentioned. You will get rewarded for keeping your car in once piece. While accidents shoot your premiums
through the stratosphere, time elapsed sans fender-benders makes your rates go the opposite direction.
What they don't tell you...
Is that lots of the above discounts only apply to comprehensive coverage. Every discount helps, but
remember this when sitting at the agent's desk anticipating your quote.
And one more thing, before I close out here. I've steered away from covering common knowledge
tips. You know, things like "compare three (or more) insurance quotes" or "newer cars cost more to
insure."
But as I grow older I realize how uncommon "common knowledge" can be, so I include those tidbits now
as a parting gift. Good luck in your hunt for auto insurance in pa, and remember to live life in the fast
lane... but BELOW the speed limit!
* 15/30/5 stands for liability coverage of $15K for injury/death of one person, $30K for multiple people,
and $5K for damaged property.
