If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to find affordable car insurance rates is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from companies in Pittsburgh. You can compare rates by completing these steps.
- Step 1: Spend a few minutes and learn about what coverages are included in your policy and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that drive up the price such as high-risk driving behaviors and a lousy credit rating can be amended by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Step 2: Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Step 3: Compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save money and buy the policy, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Provide notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current policy and submit a completed policy application and payment for the new coverage. Immediately put the new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
The key thing to remember is to use similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to get price quotes from all possible companies. This enables a fair price comparison and the best price quote selection.
It’s a known fact that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. People who get price comparisons are highly likely to switch companies because they stand a good chance of finding a lower rate. A recent auto insurance study revealed that consumers who made a habit of comparing rates saved over $865 annually as compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding the lowest price on insurance is your objective, then having a good understanding how to find companies and compare insurance premiums can make shopping around easier.
The companies shown below can provide price comparisons in Pittsburgh, PA. To find the cheapest auto insurance in Pittsburgh, it’s highly recommended you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Insurance does more than just protect your car
Despite the potentially high cost of Mercury Sable insurance, maintaining insurance is required by state law in Pennsylvania and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
- Just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific minimum amounts of liability protection if you drive a vehicle. 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 have a loan on your vehicle, it’s guaranteed your bank will require that you carry insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may insure your Mercury for a much higher rate and require you to fork over the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your Mercury but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Mercury as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of insuring your Sable are without a doubt worth the cost, particularly for liability claims. The average driver in Pennsylvania is currently overpaying as much as $750 every year so compare quotes from several companies once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
Affordable Pittsburgh auto insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Certain reductions will be credited at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Driver Safety – Passing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a home in Pittsburgh can save you money since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with anti-lock braking systems have fewer accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Government Employee Discount – Federal government employees could provide a small rate reduction with some auto insurance companies.
- Good Grades Discount – This discount may save you up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
- College Student – Children who live away from home at college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
- Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you could receive lower premium rates.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Safe drivers can save up to 40% or more on their Pittsburgh car insurance quote compared to accident prone drivers.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.
A few popular companies and their possible discounts are included below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, emergency military deployment, good student, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, five-year accident-free, and driver training.
- Travelers may have discounts that include IntelliDrive, good student, new car, early quote, and save driver.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for youthful driver, driver training, safe driver, renewal discount, and multi-vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for preferred payment discount, exclusive group savings, newly retired, multi-policy, and hybrid vehicle.
- American Family offers discounts for defensive driver, air bags, bundled insurance, good student, Steer into Savings, and TimeAway discount.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, homeowner, online signing, and multi-policy.
If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in Pittsburgh. To choose auto insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Pennsylvania, click this link.
When to contact an agent
Some consumers would rather sit down with an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Good agents are trained risk managers and will help you if you have claims. The best thing about getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get the lowest rates and still have a local agent.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Pittsburgh who will gladly provide quotes for your business. You never need to contact any agents since price quotes are sent directly to you. If you need to get a rate quote for a specific company, you would need to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.
Deciding on an insurer is decision based upon more than just the premium amount. A good agent in Pittsburgh will have answers to these questions.
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
- Is there a local claims center in Pittsburgh?
- What companies can they write with?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Which family members are covered?
- Is the agent properly licensed in Pennsylvania?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
Two types of Pittsburgh car insurance agents
When looking for local Pittsburgh agents, you should know the types of insurance agents and how they operate. Agents in Pittsburgh may be either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Either can sell insurance policies, but it is important to understand the difference in the companies they write for since it could factor into buying decisions.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Consumers often choose to use a exclusive agent partially due to the brand rather than having low rates.
The following is a list of exclusive agencies in Pittsburgh that are able to give price quote information.
- Carolyn Dorsey – State Farm Insurance Agent
5901 Baum Blvd – Pittsburgh, PA 15206 – (412) 361-8000 – View Map - GEICO Insurance Agent
9026 St Simon Way – Pittsburgh, PA 15237 – (412) 364-7170 – View Map - Paul Lukitsch – State Farm Insurance Agent
200 Fleet St #100 – Pittsburgh, PA 15220 – (412) 921-2008 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company so they can write business with an assortment of companies and get you the best rates possible. If your premiums go up, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured. When comparing rate quotes, you need to get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency in order to compare the most rates. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller mutual companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below are Pittsburgh independent insurance agencies who can help you get rate quotes.
- A For the People Insurance Agency, Inc.
2514 Wylie Ave – Pittsburgh, PA 15219 – (412) 621-5581 – View Map - Rodgers Andrew F Insurance Agency Inc
Foster Plaza V, 651 Holiday Dr – Pittsburgh, PA 15220 – (412) 922-1651 – View Map - Liberty Insurance Agency
1910 Cochran Rd #800 – Pittsburgh, PA 15220 – (412) 571-5700 – View Map
Upon receiving positive feedback for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide insurance. But keep in mind consumers can terminate your policy at any time so don’t assume you are locked into any specific agency with no way out.
One last note
People switch companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, denial of a claim, policy cancellation and even high prices. Whatever your reason, choosing a new company can be pretty painless.
Affordable Mercury Sable insurance in Pittsburgh is definitely available online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not offer rate quotes online and usually these small insurance companies sell through local independent agents.
We just showed you a lot of tips how to shop for Mercury Sable insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding affordable Pittsburgh car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
To read more, take a look at the resources below:
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Who Has the Cheapest Pittsburgh Auto Insurance for Homeowners? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Good Students in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- How Much is Pittsburgh Car Insurance After a Speeding Ticket? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for High Risk Drivers in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)