It’s safe to conclude that insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. People who shop around for cheaper prices will presumably switch auto insurance companies because there is a good probability of finding a lower-priced company. A study discovered that consumers who compared prices once a year saved $865 annually as compared to drivers who never shopped around.
If saving the most money on Ford Five Hundred insurance is your objective, then having a good understanding how to choose a company and compare insurance premiums can make the process more efficient.
The preferred way to find cheaper car insurance rates in Buffalo is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from companies who sell auto insurance in New York.
- Step 1: Read about individual coverages and the factors you can control to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices such as tickets, at-fault accidents, and a low credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article provides more details to get cheaper rates and find overlooked discounts.
- Step 2: Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies. Compare rates
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to your current policy premium and determine if cheaper Five Hundred coverage is available in Buffalo. If you find a better price and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The most important part of this process is to use the same level of coverage on each quote and and to get prices from as many companies as you can. Doing this provides a fair price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
Getting cheaper insurance pricing is surprisingly easy. The only requirement is to take time comparing rate quotes from some recommended companies.
Comparing rates online is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to spend time driving to different Buffalo agent offices. Quoting and buying Ford Five Hundred insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the professional abilities that you can only get from talking to an agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to comparison shop online and still use a local agent.
The companies in the list below are ready to provide quotes in Buffalo, NY. If you want to find the cheapest auto insurance in Buffalo, NY, we suggest you get rates from several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
Affordable rates on Ford Five Hundred insurance in Buffalo with these car insurance discounts
Not many people think insurance is cheap, but there may be some discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Certain reductions will be credited when you complete an application, but once in a while a discount must be requested specifically in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.
- Accident Forgiveness – This one is not really a discount per se, but companies like State Farm and Allstate will let one accident slide without the usual rate increase so long as you haven’t had any claims for a specific time period.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a home in Buffalo can earn you a little savings since home ownership demonstrates responsibility.
- Save with a New Car – Buying a new car model can save you some money because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Distant Student Discount – Kids who live away from home at college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 15% off the medical payments premium.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles on your Ford may allow you to get lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a defensive driving course could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member may lower your premium rates slightly.
- Good Student Discount – Excelling in school may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Discounts for Cautious Drivers – Drivers without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% as compared to drivers with claims.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like it’s possible to get free car insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.
A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts are shown below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for good student, accident-free, driver’s education, defensive driving training, anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, and student away at school.
- Nationwide may have discounts that include multi-policy, family plan, anti-theft, defensive driving, easy pay, and good student.
- GEICO has discounts for multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, and federal employee.
- AAA discounts include pay-in-full, anti-theft, multi-policy, education and occupation, good student, and AAA membership discount.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including air bags, student driver, 55 and older, defensive driver, driver training, good student, and automatic seat belts.
- The Hartford may include discounts for defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, driver training, anti-theft, air bag, bundle, and good student.
If you need low cost Buffalo car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in Buffalo. To see companies who offer car insurance discounts in New York, click this link.
Car insurance quotes from neighborhood Buffalo auto insurance agents
A small number of people just want to go talk to an agent and that is OK! Professional insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get lower prices but also keep your business local. Buying insurance from local insurance agencies is definitely important in Buffalo.
After filling out this short form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Buffalo that can provide free Buffalo car insurance quotes for your car insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to leave your computer because prices are sent directly to your email. If you have a need to quote rates from one company in particular, just search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.
If you need to find an insurance agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can choose from. Car insurance policy providers can be categorized as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either type can sell affordable car insurance policies, but we need to point out the difference in the companies they write for since it could factor into the kind of agent you use.
Independent Car Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
These agents do not have single company limitations and that enables them to quote your coverage through lots of different companies and find you cheaper rates. If they find a lower price, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparing rates, we recommend you contact multiple independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
Below are Buffalo independent insurance agents who may provide price quote information.
Cielinski Richard Insurance Agency
2916 William St – Buffalo, NY 14227 – (716) 892-5154 – View Map
Niagara Montauk Insurance
1547 Hertel Ave – Buffalo, NY 14216 – (716) 800-4282 – View Map
Sardinia Associates LLC
801 Main St – Buffalo, NY 14203 – (716) 853-3820 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and examples are State Farm, AAA, and Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Shown below is a list of exclusive agents in Buffalo willing to provide price quote information.
Dan Schmidt – State Farm Insurance Agent
615 Elmwood Ave – Buffalo, NY 14222 – (716) 783-9460 – View Map
Lou Santiago – State Farm Insurance Agent
557 Niagara St – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-5500 – View Map
State Farm: Dan Hawrylczak
1335 Hertel Ave – Buffalo, NY 14216 – (716) 873-3771 – View Map
Choosing the best insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Any good agent in Buffalo should know the answers to these questions.
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Buffalo?
Don’t assume everyone needs the same car insurance coverage
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
- What does medical payments coverage do?
- What does roadside assistance cover?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Should I have a commercial auto policy?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Who is covered when they drive my Ford Five Hundred?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Do I need an umbrella policy?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Find More Affordable Auto Insurance with These Tips
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices. Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like where you live or how financially stable you are.
The list below includes some of the factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rates.
- Alarms and GPS tracking lower prices – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you some money. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart auto theft.
- Lower performance equals lower insurance prices – The performance level of the car, truck or SUV you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a big difference in your car insurance bill. Small economy passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Lower rates for being claim-free – If you file a lot of claims you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Car insurance companies in New York generally give lower rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is intended for more catastrophic claims.
- Rates can drop if you have more than one policy – Most auto insurance companies will give a discount to clients that have more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, it’s in your best interest to check prices from other companies to guarantee you are still saving the most.
- Younger drivers are expensive to insure – Drivers with little experience are proven to get distracted easily when driving with friends so auto insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to cause fewer accidents, and are safer drivers.
Choosing the best Ford Five Hundred insurance in New York is an important decision
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Ford in Buffalo, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
First, most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability if you want to drive legally. In New York these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you have a loan on your Ford Five Hundred, most banks will force you to have full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender may insure your Ford for a much higher rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards your Ford and your assets. It also can pay for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Ford as the result of the weather or an accident, your policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially when you need to use it. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is wasting up to $869 every year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison once a year at a minimum to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Best car insurance company in New York
Selecting the top insurance company is hard considering how many companies sell insurance in Buffalo. The ranking data below can help you analyze which car insurance companies you want to consider when shopping around.
Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The General | 96 | 100 | 92 | 91% | A- | 95 |
Mercury Insurance | 87 | 96 | 100 | 87% | A+ | 93.4 |
The Hartford | 88 | 96 | 91 | 93% | A+ | 92.6 |
Progressive | 84 | 94 | 99 | 90% | A+ | 92.4 |
Travelers | 84 | 93 | 100 | 87% | A++ | 92.3 |
State Farm | 84 | 93 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 91 |
Farmers Insurance | 87 | 92 | 90 | 85% | A | 90.6 |
Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
Safeco Insurance | 85 | 91 | 87 | 86% | A | 88.4 |
USAA | 71 | 93 | 98 | 87% | A++ | 88 |
GEICO | 73 | 93 | 95 | 85% | A++ | 87.1 |
21st Century | 85 | 85 | 91 | 89% | A | 86.9 |
Liberty Mutual | 72 | 91 | 97 | 83% | A | 86.4 |
AAA Insurance | 85 | 85 | 88 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
Nationwide | 71 | 90 | 93 | 83% | A+ | 84.9 |
Allstate | 69 | 92 | 92 | 83% | A+ | 84.4 |
American Family | 77 | 96 | 80 | 85% | A | 83.8 |
Esurance | 70 | 80 | 89 | 77% | A+ | 79.2 |
Compare Rates Now Go |
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Quote more and you will save more
Cheap Ford Five Hundred insurance in Buffalo can be purchased online and also from your neighborhood Buffalo agents, so you need to quote Buffalo car insurance with both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not have rate quotes online and usually these small insurance companies only sell through independent agencies.
As you quote Buffalo car insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.
Additional auto insurance information can be found at these links:
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has the Cheapest Buffalo Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 25? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Retired Military in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
- Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)